Looking at OSU and PSU schedules in 2020
At first glance it looks kind of depressing.
-Neither of them play UW or Minn.
-Both get Iowa at home.
-OSU has to go to MSU, but Sparty is going to be utter garbage next year.
-PSU goes to Neb. Maybe Frost hits stride next year, but who knows.
-They play each other at PSU.
-We’re home to PSU and at OSU.
So, aside from each other and us, OSU has zero B10 games that don’t look like pretty easy wins, and PSU should be favored in all their road games as well.
Which means that, barring some huge upset, we go to Columbus facing an OSU squad with no more than 1 conference loss. So even if we are 8-0, it’s still likely we have to win there to go to Indy.
Assuming we lose to OSU (I’m sorry, but they’re at home and have a heisman caliber QB coming back. I’m not going to delude myself about our chances) it looks like our best chance is to run the table, hope that PSU beats OSU at Happy Valley and we get in on a tie breaker which, sad to say, does not include “longest without a division title”
So we all need to be big PSU fans next year because, if they lose another B10 game besides to us, that knocks them out of any 1 loss team tie breaking scenario and probably makes it so we’ll have to go a perfect 9-0 in B10 play to get to Indy, which is going to be pretty damn hard to do.
January 14th, 2020 at 2:07 PM ^
Washington will be hard to pick, but they have a lot of talent, 19th in the overall 2019 composite and I'd bet they lose less than we do. In fact, Washington has most of their star talent in their freshman and sophomore classes this season. It's a really tough stadium to play in and they will be amped to face us. I'd bet the line is Michigan -3 by game time.
January 14th, 2020 at 4:28 PM ^
And watch some crazy crap happen like them picking up the QB from Houston....that'd be our luck
January 14th, 2020 at 1:29 PM ^
Weak minded and kitty is no way to look at things.
January 14th, 2020 at 1:33 PM ^
Does anyone on this blog care about beating Ohio State? This poster is thinking about how easy their schedule is and what we have to do to get to Indy.... beat the fucking Buckeyes then we can talk about indy
January 14th, 2020 at 1:53 PM ^
At this point, losing only to OSU would be a huge accomplishment for Michigan football.
January 14th, 2020 at 2:01 PM ^
I would rather go 6-6 with a win over Ohio than 9-3 or 8-4 losing to every good team on the schedule. Beat Ohio and everything becomes possible for this program. Should be priority numero uno with a bullet.
January 14th, 2020 at 1:34 PM ^
Will be very tough to get a win at Minnesota. I am sure that will be a night game and that place will be rockin. 8-4 next season but I would not be surprised by 7-5.
January 14th, 2020 at 2:02 PM ^
If we go 7-5 in Harbaugh's 6th year with these talented coordinators, then the program needs to look seriously at a major change. That's simply unacceptable.
January 14th, 2020 at 1:45 PM ^
Another hopefully somebody handles our business for us thread? Harbaugh's the best!
January 14th, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^
My goal for next year is to go undefeated except for OSU and get into the playoffs as a 1 loss team. Brutal 4 game stretch early plus Washington but seems more likely than winning at OSU.
January 14th, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^
This analysis pretty much applies to every season. The homes and aways change, but the need to beat Penn St and Ohio St is a constant.
January 14th, 2020 at 2:12 PM ^
In order to be the best you need to beat the best. Look at LSU’s schedule this year. I don’t want to hear whining about schedules.
January 14th, 2020 at 2:40 PM ^
It appears Penn State is in a little hot water: will see if anything comes of it:
January 14th, 2020 at 2:46 PM ^
B1G scheduling is so stupid. From 2021-2025 as the "permanent" crossover opponent PSU gets Illinois while OSU gets Wisconsin and UM gets Nebraska, who will probably be hitting its stride under Frost. That's really fair scheduling there, giving PSU essentially a bye while saddling OSU and UM with the 2 toughest West opponents.
January 14th, 2020 at 3:01 PM ^
Re Sparty, you spelled udder wrong.
January 14th, 2020 at 3:19 PM ^
Seems like Michigan gets the short end of the stick every single year from the schedule makers of the B1G. Also why did they schedule Washington? Why not be like Florida and just play the little sisters of the poor as a non conference schedule.
Not even fair that OSU, PSU, and MSU do not have to play Wisconsin but Michigan does.
January 14th, 2020 at 3:41 PM ^
Florida played Miami in a neutral site game and FSU this past year.
January 14th, 2020 at 4:24 PM ^
Gauntlet!
Was moreso looking at next years schedule for Florida.
January 14th, 2020 at 4:16 PM ^
I mean...OSU is playing at Oregon next year
January 14th, 2020 at 4:31 PM ^
OSU will definitely win that game. You can schedule those types of games when you solidify a program. Michigan needs all the wins it can get, and scheduling a top program on the road with a new QB for the first week of the year does not seem too smart to me....0-1.
January 14th, 2020 at 7:22 PM ^
It's all rigged against Michigan, as anyone with eyes can see. Whoever the powerbroker is that is behind these fraudulent schedules year in and year out needs to go down. I mean road games - really? OSU and PSU play NO ONE - pathetic.
January 14th, 2020 at 3:28 PM ^
Hate to say it but Ive sorta given up on Michigan football and basketball isnt looking as promising as it seemed either AND Hockey has fallen big time..very depressing
January 14th, 2020 at 3:39 PM ^
If Michigan beats OSU...everything will take care of itself
January 14th, 2020 at 4:35 PM ^
Step up. Don't expect the teams above you to get worse. College football is a man's game. Hide the women and children.
January 14th, 2020 at 4:51 PM ^
Minnesota will be like our Wisconsin game this year. The stark realization we aren't a real contender.
January 14th, 2020 at 5:43 PM ^
None of it matters because Michigan will lose to Ohio and not go to the big ten championship or the playoff again, so look all you want then reality hits.
January 14th, 2020 at 8:19 PM ^
Michigan has to get better at playing away, and perform better in big games - especially OSU. Those are two things we have all expected from Harbaugh, especially coming from the NFL (where you would expect them to have a better handle on things), and in these specific areas (plus QB performance), the Harbaugh regime has been thus far extremely disappointing.
January 15th, 2020 at 8:02 AM ^
As long as Harbaugh is at the helm we win at home except for OSU. We loose all road games against top 25 and the occasional one we shouldn’t loose. So 3-5 losses every year. Settle in and accept it.
January 15th, 2020 at 8:48 AM ^
Bottom line is Michigan has more talented on the starting 22 than every team they will play outside of OSU. Call me forgiving but it's normal to lose to a team that is better than you and it doesn't shock me if 18-22 year olds drop one they should win. This is precisely why UM's floor every year should be 10-3 outside of a fluke year where your qb is out all year like the o'korn debacle.
Beat the teams you are better than, even when on the road, and this could be a good year next year. I don't give 2 shits that UMin was very good this year...UM has to win a game like that on the road next year.
On paper I could easily see a 2018 year where you like like a poo-poo on the road @UWa and then go on a terror only to have your soul ripped out at osu. That said my gut tells me it's 9-3 with a loss to UWa, one of PSU/UWi/UMin, and OSU.