UM Fourth Non-Conference Game for 2012 (A MAC schedule analysis)?
EDIT: A friend of mine pointed out that Massachusetts joins the MAC next season.
My speculation is based on Michigan's current schedule, the "agreement" that Big Ten teams play MAC teams, and based on the current MAC teams schedules. I tried looking everywhere I could think of to find the MAC conference schedules for 2012 and beyond, with no success.
(1) With that said, let's start with Michigan's schedule for 2012:
September
S1: vs. Alabama; S8: Air Force; S15: OPEN; S22: @ Notre Dame; S29: OPEN
October
O6: @ Purdue*; O13: Illinois*; O20: Michigan St*; O27: @ Nebraska*
November
N3: @ Minnesota*; N10: Northwestern*; N17: Iowa*; N24: @ Ohio*
(2) Teams in the MAC that currently have a full non-conference schedule (with their opponents in parenthesis):
Ball State (@ Clemson, @ Indiana, USF, @ Army)
Bowling Green (@ Florida, Idaho, @ Virginia Tech, Rhode Island)
Buffalo (@ Georgia, Morgan St, @ Connecticut, Pittsburgh)
Kent State (Towson, @ Kentucky, @ Rutgers, @ Army)
Miami (OH) (@ Ohio, @ Boise St, Missouri, Cincinnati)
Northern Illinois (Iowa, UT Martin, @ Army, Kansas)
Ohio University (@ Penn St, New Mexico St, @ Marshall, Norfolk St)
Temple (Villanova, Maryland, @ Penn St, @ Army)
Western Michigan (@ Illinois, Eastern Illinois, @ Minnesota, Connecticut)
(3) That leaves us with:
Akron, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Massachusetts, Toledo.
Eastern Michigan
I tend to think playing EMU in 2012 is very unlikely. EMU and Michigan have what appears to be a common open date on September 29, but the two will have met just this year. I just don't see this happening. Further, EMU is playing at Purdue and at Michigan St. Down to Akron, Central Michigan, Massachusetts, and Toledo.
Central Michigan
Believe it or not, Michigan and Central Michigan have not met since 2006. With that said, I highly doubt they will meet in 2012, but 2013 or 2014 are possibilities. CMU faces both Michigan State and Iowa in 2012; facing three Big Ten teams in the same season is highly unlikely. Down to Akron and Toledo.
Massachusetts
The Minutemen and Wolverines met last year in the Big House. UMass has Connecticut on the road on August 30 and faces Indiana at home on September 8. September 15 and 29 appear to both be open for a meeting between the two. However, given the recent meeting, I don't see this one happening.
Toledo
Neither Akron nor Toledo have any Big Ten teams listed on their non-conference schedule in 2012. Toledo is @ Arizona, @ Wyoming and home to Coastal Carolina on the week of September 1, September 8, and September 22, respectively. That would leave September 15 or September 22 as possible dates for a meeting in Ann Arbor. My hunch is that Toledo schedules another home game for 2012. I also believe AD Brandon would not want to set up Coach Hoke with another tough non-conference opponent in 2012. That leaves . . .
Akron
Akron and Michigan have not played before from what I can remember. Akron only has one non-conference opponent scheduled for 2012, UCF, and no date is set for the game. Akron is not a good team, would give Michigan an easy game, and would provide the Wolverines with a MAC opponent.
Thoughts on who the fourth non-conference opponent in 2012 could be?
September 7th, 2011 at 10:30 PM ^
Pay some FCS school to forfeit a game and come play us again?
September 7th, 2011 at 10:36 PM ^
Why not an ivy? It certainly wouldn't hurt. Or if we just gave up a home game, we could play a game in Texas for the recruiting benefits.
<br>-Chet
September 7th, 2011 at 10:47 PM ^
Oh wait, Brandon likes scheduling those programs
September 7th, 2011 at 10:52 PM ^
I would really like to see CMU then Toledo, the others not so much.
September 7th, 2011 at 10:53 PM ^
All things being equal, I'd just as soon give the cupcake game and the brief spotlight that entails to English and Hart.
But I'm sure Brandon will schedule Toledo so we can get revenge and look super cool doing it.
September 8th, 2011 at 8:15 AM ^
September 8th, 2011 at 8:17 AM ^
He's making a joke. He's saying it's just like Brandon thought it would be an awesome idea to "get revenge" on App State.
September 8th, 2011 at 8:26 AM ^
September 8th, 2011 at 8:43 AM ^
really. i mean it.
September 7th, 2011 at 10:54 PM ^
assume any school (MAC or otherwise) with a full schedule wouldn't break a date with another school to come to the Big House if the price is right.
September 7th, 2011 at 11:01 PM ^
True, I just find it very unlikely a MAC school would break a date with another Big Ten member to play at the Big House (another team, like an FCS opponent, is likely). Might be a better pay day than traveling elsewhere, but would create problems among fellow Big Ten schools.
September 7th, 2011 at 11:07 PM ^
I dont think it will be Toledo. And honestly I dont think its a good situation for Toledo to be in again, its a lose-lose situation for Michigan.
Akron possible, but I have to disagree I think it will be either Central or Eastern.
September 7th, 2011 at 11:07 PM ^
Can we snag LSU? Boise? FSU?
Oh, right.
September 7th, 2011 at 11:11 PM ^
I wouldn't even want to. With Alabama, Air Force and ND in the nonconference, we need a tasty cupcake. This isn't NCAA 12 where getting an A+ schedule is a fun part of the game.
September 7th, 2011 at 11:13 PM ^
We play Alabama at a neutral site, @Notre Dame, @Nebraska, and @OSU next year. And Air Force isn't exactly The Little Sisters of the Poor.
I don't think anybody in the country will be playing a much tougher schedule next year, even if we wipe the floor with EMU.
September 7th, 2011 at 11:36 PM ^
I mean, leader's and best and all.
I don't think leaders need to schedule cupcakes, but, that's just me.
Why shouldn't Michigan lead the way in saying something like "good schools should play other good schools"?
September 8th, 2011 at 6:16 AM ^
But what's the point of taking a top-five (and possibly number one) strength of schedule and making it harder? As long as we're up there and not playing an IU out of conference slate that should be plenty.
September 8th, 2011 at 6:54 AM ^
I'm okay with a cupcake, bur OTOH, all the good games are away next year. Why am I paying for season tickets to cupcakes and MSU? I'd like a second decent game at home, IMO.
September 7th, 2011 at 11:12 PM ^
Why not a WAC or C-USA school?
September 7th, 2011 at 11:19 PM ^
Wonder what Delaware State is doing?
September 7th, 2011 at 11:46 PM ^
Would be a game I would like to watch.
September 8th, 2011 at 5:53 AM ^
What with their helmets and everything
September 7th, 2011 at 11:37 PM ^
community college, atleast we'd get to see demar dorsey play
September 7th, 2011 at 11:50 PM ^
The schedule is already set for 2012...
Alabama
Air Force
Notre Dame
UMass
The 29th is a bye week
September 7th, 2011 at 11:52 PM ^
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/mich-m-footbl-sched.html&n…;
UMass isn't yet listed. Do you have a link?
September 8th, 2011 at 8:40 AM ^
The University passed out fridge magnets with the 2011/2012 schedules of all teams at Maize Craze last Friday and I was quite surprised to see a full 2011/2012 schedule in there. But yes, UMass is the 4th non-conference game.
It is posted on
"One of the UMass football blog's vast network of spies says UMass-Michigan in 2012 is set. Vanderbilt is still being negotiated"
September 8th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^
Thanks. I'm not sure why mgoblue.com doesn't reflect this, but if the University is already publishing the schedule, it has to be right. So much for this forum post.
September 8th, 2011 at 12:49 AM ^
with Indiana. Would they really schedule two B1G teams in their first year in FBS? OTOH, since they aren't eligible for the MAC championship or bowl games in 2012, I guess they could play a more challenging schedule with little downside. I'd just be surprised that they'd come back to the Big House so soon but I guess it's possible - see note about Michigan in the Vandy article here.
September 8th, 2011 at 12:27 AM ^
Why does Michigan have to play a really tough game the week before Ohio every fucking year? More often than not, Ohio is playing an easy game. When Michigan is a lot better than Ohio, like they were when they were going 10-2-1, it doesn't really matter. When the teams are even, it gives Ohio an edge.
You would think the Big Ten would want to be intelligent about their showcase game.
September 8th, 2011 at 7:38 AM ^
The past fee years they have been playing Penn state.
September 8th, 2011 at 7:40 AM ^
@ Wisconsin
September 8th, 2011 at 5:18 AM ^
Wasn't Mich supposed to do the second part of the home and home with UCONN in '12?
September 8th, 2011 at 5:51 AM ^
That the return date was
September 8th, 2011 at 8:36 AM ^
We play at UCONN on September 21st.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/081809aab.html
September 8th, 2011 at 8:21 AM ^
He doesn’t want to make an already brutal schedule even harder.
But he is giving season ticket holders the worst home slate in recent memory, with just six games, only one of which (Michigan State) is much of a draw. I am guessing he tries to bring in someone more interesting than Akron for the sixth game.
September 8th, 2011 at 9:42 AM ^
I would say Toledo* or Central over Akron or Eastern, and here's why. Toledo is a tougher MAC team, more like Western (and Central in better years, like under Brian Kelly and Butch Davis for instance), whereas Akron is at the opposite end of the spectrum. As a MAC school, particularly on the opener where they're going to be a little rusty and out of their element at the Big House, and yet will play well enough to actually sharpen us up and prepare our guys for ND and/or the upcoming Big Ten season. Akron, on the other hand, ill-prepares teams who take only the cupcakey-est of opponents (i.e. that school in ohio) and offers nothing that a scrimmage against the 3rd string couldn't provide. Same goes for Eastern, plus there's no sense in piling the losses on Ron English (and now also Mike Hart's) down-luck MAC team.
(Edit: UMass was also a decent opponent last year, and they'd additionally provide a good measuring stick for ourselves against the RR-run team of 2010.)
*I am not for or against the "revenge" factor (if the comparison to scheduling App State for the opener in 2014 is made); this is opinion is strictly on talent and how the match-up will help prepare the team for the rest of the season.
September 8th, 2011 at 10:40 AM ^
Anyone else's MAC-related analysis would surely be appreciated. (PS/semi-OT: Root for Toledo this Saturday against OSU to overshadow the 08 tragedy under RRod before the game Under the Lights! It's one of the more solid MAC teams in a few years, so if OSU comes out flat and they come out flying its a genuine possibility)