Michigan #9 in CBS Sports Preseason Top 30

Submitted by ChiCityWolverine on

Slow day on the board to be posting CBS Sports links, but Michigan checks in at #9 in Jerry Palm's preseason rankings. The real reason I posted this is that it includes a strength of schedule ranking. Amongst top 25 rated teams, the B1G members have the top four toughest schedules.

Teams of note (SOS in parethesis):

3. Alabama (46)
9. Michigan (3)
12. Wisconsin (44)
14. Michigan State (2)
15. Ohio State (5)
20. Nebraska (6)
27. Notre Dame (1)

Palm's rankings are produced by his own computer formula, but I find it highly ironic that the SEC's power teams, who are perceived to face much more daunting schedules, lag behind the B1G in SOS ranking on an SEC-slanted network.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/rankings/124/index1

Soulfire21

August 14th, 2012 at 2:31 PM ^

Consider my eyebrows raised on this one...

Boise State is a step-up from the typical non-conference cupcakes, but without Kellen Moore we don't know how good the Broncos will be.

Ohio State,  Nebraska, and Notre Dame all visit East Lansing.

Yeah, I don't buy #2 hardest schedule in the nation.

ChiCityWolverine

August 14th, 2012 at 2:33 PM ^

To Sparty's credit they do play two fringe Top 25 level teams in Boise State and Notre Dame in addition the two directional Michigan schools. They also have B1G contests against Ohio State, Iowa, and Nebraska at home as well as on the road at Michigan and at Wisconsin. There's no Alabama on that schedule, but they've got seven real battles this year against potential Top 25 teams.

EDIT: Beaten to the punch, but while it doesn't appear to be a Top 5 schedule, I would still say it's a pretty tough slate for Dantonio.

bluewave720

August 14th, 2012 at 7:59 PM ^

against boise about a week after we announced our game with 'Bama. At the time, it felt like kind of a desperate move.  Also, don't forget that this is the year they play at Central in their efforts to be "the true football program for the state."  Whatever.  Also a move that felt kinda forced.

 

gobluepenn6

August 14th, 2012 at 2:30 PM ^

How is our schedule easier than MSU?  They get to play Indiana! That's easier than a bye week!

The only game I can see that is 'harder' than ours is the game against Michigan and Wisconsin.  Obviously Michigan is better than MSU, so I can understand that.  But I am pretty sure Alabama is much better than Boise, Air Force is better than Directional whatever and they get OSU & ND at home.... 

 

Us:

 

2012 Schedule Buy Michigan Tickets


Date Opponent Time/Result
Sep 1 Alabama 8:00 pm
Sep 8 Air Force 3:30 pm
Sep 15 Massachusetts 3:30 pm
Sep 22 @Notre Dame 7:30 pm
Oct 6 @Purdue 4:00 pm
Oct 13 Illinois 3:30 pm
Oct 20 Michigan St.  
Oct 27 @Nebraska 8:00 pm
Nov 3 @Minnesota  
Nov 10 Northwestern  
Nov 17 Iowa  
Nov 24 @Ohio St. 12:00 pm

 

Them: 

 

2012 Schedule Buy Michigan State Tickets
Date Opponent Time/Result
Aug 31 Boise St. 8:00 pm
Sep 8 @C. Michigan 3:30 pm
Sep 15 Notre Dame 8:00 pm
Sep 22 E. Michigan  
Sep 29 Ohio St.  
Oct 6 @Indiana 12:00 pm
Oct 13 Iowa 12:00 pm
Oct 20 @Michigan  
Oct 27 @Wisconsin 3:30 pm
Nov 3 Nebraska  
Nov 17 Northwestern  
Nov 24 @Minnesota  

 

AmaizeingBlue

August 14th, 2012 at 2:37 PM ^

UofM             MSU

 

Alabama > Boise

Airforce >  CMU

@ND > ND

Umass = EMU

@OSU > OSU

@ Purdue > @ Indiana

@Nebraska > Nebraska

NW=NW

@ Minnesota = @Minnesota

Iowa = Iowa

Illinois < Wisconsin

MSU < @UofM

 

They have two tougher games being Wisconsin and the one against us since it's a road game.

 

 

 

 

swdodgimus

August 14th, 2012 at 2:38 PM ^

Air Force should be way down this year (returning less than 10 starters), and on a level comparable to CMU and EMU.  UMass should be worse than the "directionals" due to their transition to FBS.  The non confeence might be the difference (I don't know how Jerry Palm takes road games into account, which you would think titls the strength towards Michigan).   

sedieso

August 14th, 2012 at 2:52 PM ^

Come on guys, are we seriously outraged that MSU's strength of schedule is one spot ahead of ours? At the end of the day, Michigan being Michigan is a much bigger factor and difference between the two programs than a mere one spot in perceived strenght of schedule. 

Wolverine In Iowa

August 14th, 2012 at 3:00 PM ^

But I do.  They always disintegrate into a bunch of conjecture and aimless claims about really something we know nothing about.  However, I agree that I would consider our schedule tougher than Sparty's this year.

I am desperately trying to focus, like the players and coaches, on the Alabama game -- I leave for Dallas in 16 days!!

LSAClassOf2000

August 14th, 2012 at 5:07 PM ^

Like everything else, I pulled this table into Excel and started fiddling with it:

Average SOS ranking in the SEC: 40

Average SOS ranking in the Big Ten: 18

For some contrast -

Average SOS ranking for listed Pac-12 teams: 24

Average SOS ranking for listed MAC teams: 88

Average SOS ranking for listed ACC teams: 50

I am especially intrigued now. If we could compile rankings like this from a few sources and the numbers were relatively similar, there would be probably be some solid statistical backing when it comes to the gap between the perception of the SEC schedule and the reality of the SEC schedule.