Northwestern Game: Noon (ET) on FOX
October 11th, 2021 at 1:18 PM ^
works for me. I am going to the Rose Bowl for Oregon @ UCLA that day
October 11th, 2021 at 4:49 PM ^
October in the bowl? Stifling blow outs and traffic? Hard pass.
October 11th, 2021 at 6:36 PM ^
y u no come to Sonny's this season bro?
October 11th, 2021 at 7:19 PM ^
Sonny's in Santa Monica? I don't think that's a Michigan bar is it? It's usually Q's on the Westside
October 12th, 2021 at 12:34 AM ^
Changed this year because Q's wasn't opening before 5pm when the season started
October 11th, 2021 at 1:19 PM ^
I'm for a noon kick off game. Whew! There was some talk about a night game but the matchup does not warrant 4 million eyeballs watching to meet that threshold.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:24 PM ^
Going to the game. Glad it is at noon.
October 11th, 2021 at 7:44 PM ^
Why is that? Just curious?
When I watch at home...I LOVE noon games.
But I'm also going and I hate that it's noon. I was hoping for a 3:30 slot, even if it was BTN.
Enough time to tailgate, watch the noon games, but don't have to wait all damn day either.
October 11th, 2021 at 7:53 PM ^
as a hungover student going to games, I hated noon games but that was in the days of Bo, and you know he liked them
October 11th, 2021 at 1:24 PM ^
They should open the student section to first come/first served for 12pm starts.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
Have you ever been to a Northwestern game?
First, the only thing that fills the stadium are opponents' fans.
Second, the parking lot is usually full of students tailgating, at least till the second half.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:45 PM ^
Its at the Big House
October 11th, 2021 at 4:50 PM ^
That said, away games at Northwestern are so fun!
October 11th, 2021 at 4:55 PM ^
Agree. Evanston and the NU campus are really nice. The fans are laid back and don't care about opposing fans being there. And you can sit among tons of Michigan fans in the visitor section that isn't a mile up in the corner of the stadium. Then, you can see a few sites in Chicago while you're there too. Of all the road venues, it's our favorite trip.
October 11th, 2021 at 5:04 PM ^
Stadium itself is a dump and the food is… meh. But the surrounding area is awesome and it’s definitely a blast.
October 11th, 2021 at 5:05 PM ^
I mean that’s cool and all, but it’s a home game so not really sure it’s relevant?
October 11th, 2021 at 7:37 PM ^
Oops. Thinking about Northwestern and its student fans—and that my sister's family lives near a parking area*—I missed the obvious, that the comment was about NU playing in Ann Arbor.
* Which means they get a good sense of the different fan bases. I was not shocked to learn that Ohio State fans are obnoxious but it did surprise me that Iowa fans are rude & crude too. Maybe they're traumatized because their corn is bad.**
** A joke*** based on an image in Brian's "Buckner vs. Buckner."
*** Comedy is often done in three steps.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:29 PM ^
Glad it is at noon, but damn the schedule of games must be pretty bad if this is the Big Noon game.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:34 PM ^
Yeah, does this mean FOX picked this game over OSU-IU?
Or maybe Michigan refused the night game that ABC would have wanted so they mutually agree to do it this way?
October 11th, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
ABC probably (not certain, but probably) had first pick of B1G games for the week.
The IU game will actually be the first time ABC/ESPN gets the Buckeyes all year. Their first 6 games have all been on FOX or BTN.
October 11th, 2021 at 2:15 PM ^
Got it. Yeah, I thought FOX's right gave them first pick every week (hence why they've had OSU so often).
October 11th, 2021 at 3:39 PM ^
Yes, I am not always sure how the selection process works on a week-to-week basis. FOX usually gets the first choice, but ABC/ESPN is guaranteed I think 6 primetime games per season and the first pick a couple weeks per season. My guess is that FOX passed on first pick this week.
October 11th, 2021 at 4:15 PM ^
FOX has first game choice in 7 of the weeks, ABC/ESPN has first game choice in 6 of the weeks.
The networks draft the weeks prior to the season. FOX has 1st, 3rd, 5th, ... 13th draft picks. ABC/ESPN has the even number draft picks.
They never publicly release which network drafted each week, but one can make some educated guesses a this point:
- FOX - Weeks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 13
- ABC/ESPN - Weeks 3, 8, 9, 11
- Unknown - Weeks 7, 10, 12
October 11th, 2021 at 1:30 PM ^
Thanks for the heads up, figured it'd be an early kickoff since it's not a particularly appealing game to any non-Michigan fans.
I think I've decided I like the late kickoffs best. I usually watch the games with the local alumni club, and by the time I drive there, back and with the length of games it's pushing 5-6 hours out of my weekend. I know it's the same 24 hours in a day no matter when the game happens but it feels more consuming of the day when that 5-6 hours is right in the middle of the day.
October 11th, 2021 at 3:13 PM ^
I like it because it reminds me of fall days in my teens, when the Washtenaw Dairy used to fill up in the morning with people primed for the game, and fall was in the air. And I love to have the win in the bag and idle through the rest of the day, watching to see if other games prove compelling, slowly prepping dinner, hanging with the family.
October 11th, 2021 at 4:04 PM ^
It's northwestern. The win is already in the bag
October 11th, 2021 at 10:50 PM ^
Based on your avatar, are you in South Florida with the Miami - Fort Lauderdale club? Used to go watch the games at Upper Deck in Hallandale Beach before I landed in Austin.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:32 PM ^
Phew. I don't get BTN so I'm happy I get to see it and not have to feel obligated to spend $40-$50 to watch it and have lunch at a sports bar.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:56 PM ^
A plug for supporting local businesses and watching with fellow Wolverines (sports are meant to be social!)
October 11th, 2021 at 3:12 PM ^
counterpoint: we're 6-0 when I watch it alone in a room, talk to no one, and barely move.
October 11th, 2021 at 6:46 PM ^
haha, ok you keep taking games like that for the team. we appreciate it.
October 11th, 2021 at 2:05 PM ^
Same. I'm guessing that means the IU and Maryland games will probably be on BTN though.
October 11th, 2021 at 2:30 PM ^
Well at least one of them has to be. My understanding (per earlier Matt Sarz posts) is that each team has to have a minimum of two games on BTN each season, including at least one conference game (Maryland has to have two conference games, as the I believe only school not to have one of their non-con games on BTN). So maybe the thinking is kill two birds with one stone, since both us and MD need another BTN game, but I expected NW for sure to be on BTN, since they are so abysmal (probably the worst team Fitz has ever had).
October 11th, 2021 at 4:25 PM ^
sportsurge dot net, my friend
October 11th, 2021 at 1:37 PM ^
Gus Johnson going to have to work to find some enthusiasm for this one.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:53 PM ^
I wish Gus Johnson had called the Oklahoma/Texas game this past Saturday. It would have been madness. I don't know if he'd have anything left in the 4th quarter.
Though Chris Fowler did plenty of yelling himself.
October 11th, 2021 at 3:14 PM ^
someone needs to free Gus.
I'm not a huge fan of his but huge games deserve someone with his excitement. He seems like a caricature of himself calling a 9-6 Iowa/Rutgers game.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:50 PM ^
Glad to hear this news!
I have plans that evening that are unmoveable and pretty much unskippable.
Crisis and hurt feelings are averted!
October 11th, 2021 at 1:52 PM ^
Makes sense. I do hope that means the MSU game isn't a night one as well, since I absolutely don't want that trash palace to have even more drunk fans in it than usual for that game.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:58 PM ^
Does MSU have an option left for a night game that Michigan can't veto? If so, I bet they do it, and Disney would certainly want it (assuming OSU-PSU is Big Noon on Fox).
OTOH a top 10 matchup could get very out of control for campus safety so maybe administrators would think better of it.
October 11th, 2021 at 2:28 PM ^
10/30 is shaping up to be Judgement Day in the B1G this year.
UM @ MSU, likely 7-0 matchup of two Top 10 Teams. Winner will be a co-favorite for East Champion
PSU @ OSU, likely matchup of two Top 10 teams, both with 1 loss already and trying to stay alive in B1G East. Winner will be co-favorite for East Champions
Finally, Iowa @ Wisconsin
the last major test for a likely undefeated Iowa to remain so and can all but clinch the B1G West.
obviously a lot can happen before and after that weekend that could cause dramatic shifts, but that is going to be a heck of a day for B1G football.
October 11th, 2021 at 2:45 PM ^
Iowa also plays on the road at Nebraska to end the year.
That could be tougher than Wisco for them.
October 11th, 2021 at 2:48 PM ^
Eh, calling us and MSU the co-favorites in the east is a huge stretch. OSU's loss was non-conference, and PSU's was non-division (to a top-3 team), so both are still in control of their own destiny. Clifford injury aside, I'd still expect PSU and OSU to be favored over both us and MSU regardless of whether it's home or away.
October 11th, 2021 at 4:35 PM ^
He's calling the winner of that game a co-favorite and that's correct (if you're going to give out two "co-favorite" designations which seems fair when the winner of the matchup between the two will win the division 9 times out of 10).
If it's Michigan and OSU beats PSU, then we're on a collision course towards The Game. In that scenario, Michigan doesn't even have to beat PSU for the division to still come down to the The Game. Michigan is already being given a 28.3 percent chance to win the division by ESPN FPI so you could argue we're already a co-favorite (OSU is of course at 55.8%). If Michigan beats MSU, that'll jump up to close to 50%.
And the same scenario goes for MSU. If they beat us and OSU beats PSU, they just have to beat OSU and their game against PSU wouldn't even matter.
PSU technically controls their own destiny but the loss to Iowa removed their margin for error. They have to win out. That's not likely the case for Michigan, MSU or OSU. That's why PSU is only being given a 5.8% chance to win the division.
It's a little more complicated if PSU beats OSU because both would still have one loss but that puts the winner of Michigan-MSU as the only undefeated team in the division. Certainly at least a co-favorite at that point. And then PSU and OSU would still be in it (OSU would need to win out and hope either MSU or Michigan beats PSU).
October 11th, 2021 at 5:41 PM ^
He's calling the winner of that game a co-favorite
I still think that's a stretch. Like I said, barring a long term Clifford injury, I'd have to imagine that OSU and PSU will be favored against in their games against us and MSU. So even though the winner of UofM-MSU could be undefeated, they'd still be projected to finish with at least two losses and probably no higher than third in the division.
The OSU-PSU winner is going to be the division favorite. Honestly, the only way I see a co-favorite situation is something like if PSU beats OSU, with OSU being that co-favorite. They'd be sitting on one conference loss, and expected to win out, so another PSU loss (to us, MSU or someone else) would presumably put them into the championship game.
October 11th, 2021 at 1:56 PM ^
Don't think OSU will want to do a third conference night game, and second in a row, against Penn State the following week. Unfortunately, I think it's setting up for OSU-PSU to be the noon game on 10/30, and Michigan/MSU the 4 pm or 7:30 kickoff.
October 11th, 2021 at 2:04 PM ^
Yeah, that'll almost certainly be the Big Noon game (and doesn't Fox have first pick?). The question is whether MSU will (can?) do a night game. If not, it'll be 3:30.
October 11th, 2021 at 2:09 PM ^
Maybe; but Nebraska just had three consecutive night games.
October 11th, 2021 at 2:17 PM ^
I don’t think Fox has done a MSU game, plus the intrigue of an undefeated matchup in the top 10 might make Fox choose the Paul Bunyan trophy game over OSU/PSU
October 11th, 2021 at 6:54 PM ^
Psu depends on Clifford…nobody wants to watch that backup. I can’t imagine fox picks us for noon slot twice in a row though - not sure what their other options are.