God I happen we get a scrimmage game, er, play Rutger early.
@MSU
@PSU
@Wisconsin
@Iowa (night game)
@ND
@LSU
@Oklahoma
@Clemson
@Alabama
@Georgia
Because why the fuck not?
edit: sorry forgot vs Rutger
You had me in the first half, not going to lie.
Here's the entire Conference Schedule/Dates. Click for the larger version
So UM plays the best 4 teams from the west division... seems about right. Absolute fucking bullshit garbage schedule.
I see 3 losses minimum with maybe 4 or 5 a real possibility.
I like Warde, but I get the impression he may not be a good poker player... unless he's (privately) assuming that the season won't actually happen this year.
At least the MSU game got switched. Hopefully it stays that way for those that care about those things.
Not really sure what you’re basing that off of...We don’t play the best 4 at all. Iowa isnt on the schedule. Purdue finished 5th in the division and went 4-8 and Northwestern finished last and went 3-9. They combined for a 4-14 conference record.
i really don’t see what there is to bitch about. The schedule is the exact same one we already had (simply switching dates and a few locations). And we added Northwestern who went 3-9 (1-8 B1G) last season.
If anything this is FAVORABLE for Michigan.
Edit: Gotta love being negged while posting entirely factual information. This is LITERALLY the same conference slate Michigan already had, except we added the last place team from the West. Now people want to cry about how “we get the four best teams,” but ignore the fact that two of the four weren’t even close to being bowl eligible. That’s all the B1G did. Switch around dates and make an extra crossover game on the last game of the year.
August 5th, 2020 at 10:15 AM ^
I'm being a bit hyperbolic in my original comment. I know, I know, internet and all that.
True they don't have Iowa, but Iowa is going to be a cluster this season given what's happened in the last few months there. I'll be surprised if they finish above .500.
Northerwestern seems to typically play UM tough (outside of 2015) the last 15 years. The games have been closer than they should be much more often than not.
Purdue has Brohm and a Jr Rondale Moore with UM breaking in several new secondary and LB players. That game is very losable if Purdue offense is clicking.
August 5th, 2020 at 10:35 AM ^
Every game is losable if the opponent is clicking and they exploit your holes.
If you’re really concerned about Purdue or NW, it’s pretty clear you didn’t watch either of them play last year. This schedule worked out overwhelmingly in Michigan’s favor.
August 5th, 2020 at 10:49 AM ^
I'm always concerned. I hope you're right, but I can't count how many times a mediocre team has played the game of their life against UM, especially Northwestern and Purdue. Too much PTSD being a fan of this team.
umm, its an all-conference, 10 game schedule genius; who the fuck else are they gonna play?
don't get iowa or nebraska
We atleast don't have to go through the PSU, Wisc, Minn, and MSU gaunlet. Seems to be a bit more evenly balanced than our original conference schedule and I for one is pretty stoked to not have OSU at the end of the season. Anything to change things up.
Of course OSU got a cup cake schedule with two only real games in UM and PSU. Hopefully we are more battle tested by the time the Game comes around because before UM they play literally no one.
It does seem like we have been screwed more by injuries accumulated by season's end than OSU has the past decade or so. Many of those games would have likely been wins (or at least closer) had we not lost (or had a limited operation) some key players.
It's all part of the game of course, but it just seems as though we've had some ridiculously bad luck as compared to the 80s, 90s and first half of 2000s.
Update: it's stupid
How the fuck do we still get wisconsin
Because they were on the schedule anyway? I assumed it was a foregone conclusion that we’d play them this year.
It’s not like we have to go to Camp Randall again.
August 5th, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
Bring them on. Hopefully we don't overlook them after our huge win the previous week.
It’s easier to move around games that are already scheduled than it is to completely rework a schedule. Every schedule has exactly the same opponents scheduled except for the last game of the year where an extra crossover was added.
State gets us two years in a row at the Big House. Revenge for 2013/14? Obviously not but I'll take it.
Opportunity to fix it, they'll start the flip with OSU again.
Good on the B1G for that.
And for Michigan for taking advantage of Mark Hollis being out of the room, or off the Zoom call.
We get...Purdue, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern.
OSU gets...Illinois, Purdue, Iowa, Nebraska.
This exactly. OSU’s schedule is a joke. They don’t play anyone until us in week 8.
Can’t wait for the season the be cancelled after week 6, and they are declared conference champs for being 6-0 against Rutgers and the boys.
The conference is doing everything they can to protect OSU every year with giving them as easy of a conference schedule as possible so that they increase the likelihood that the league is represented in the playoffs. The worst thing they can hope for is everyone beating up on each other and a 1 or 2 loss conference champ.
Purdue and Northwestern are two of the worst teams in the West.
I still do not buy Minnesota- they ran an absolute garbage league last year.
Wisconsin is the ONLY team that truly scares me, and they were already scheduled.
At the end of the day, if you wanna be the best, gotta handle your shit. No more complaining about schedules and how Michigan constantly gets boned. Just fucking be better, for once.
Sure, let’s beat OSU but while we’re at it, also play a significantly tougher schedule than they do and somehow still win the conference. No big deal right?
OSU is a recruiting juggernaut, so excuse me for wanting at least a semi-level playing field as we try to knock them off.
“jUSt wIn aLL tHe gAmZ“ is both obvious and nearly impossible. The schedule matters.
I wait for the day when this program is good enough to not have to already have built-in excuses before the season starts.
Looks like it'll be another year before that happens.
And the Big Ten making the schedule easier for Michigan because OSU recruits better is laughable. The Tigers suck, but lets give them 4 outs instead of 3 each inning. Come on man.
What are you talking about Leo?
I never said make our schedule easier than OSUs. I said level. Not sure how you missed that, man?
Look at the west crossovers. Look at how the schedule sets up. You call it excuses, I call it reality.
Keep dreaming for the year when Michigan is heads and shoulders the best team in the country. It’s going to be a while...
August 5th, 2020 at 10:03 AM ^
So let's say OSU gets Michigan's schedule, and we get theirs.
You think their fan base does what we do? Moans and groans that they are getting screwed by the league and the world is unfair?
I honestly do not remember the last time, in an off-season, where our fan base said, "WOW, what an EASY schedule!" This is LITERALLY the same exact conversation every GD season.
At some point, we have to stop with the built-in excuses. The schedule ain't great. So what? Get it done.
I was simply pointing out that you saying we should have a similar schedule to OSU because they recruit better is non-sensical.
August 5th, 2020 at 10:49 AM ^
And once again, I never said we should have a similar schedule because they recruit better. I said we should have a similar schedule because we are in the same freaking conference, the same division, and are the two marquee teams in said conference.
By the way, there has been at least 1-2 times in Harbaugh’s tenure alone that the schedule has setup really well. And most people on this blog were in agreement on that, despite your straw man argument.
You’re entitled to have your “Git R Done” attitude towards the team, but I think it creates unrealistic expectations. Others of us are entitled to call a spade a spade with the scheduling.
Every team that wins the conference and/or the playoff needs a little luck, either with the schedule, injuries, etc. I don’t really understand the point of being Al Davis (Just Win Baby!!) but like I said, you’re welcome to it.
August 5th, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
What's a similar schedule? How do you know that Minnesota will be a power and OSU's opponents will be crap? What happens if Minnesota turns out to be total dogshit, and OSU's opponents end up being better than advertised? EVERYONE in the conference has more or less a somewhat equivalent schedule; you are going to have some tough games, some easy ones, and some toss-ups. Sure, it may be 1-2 games skewed differently for a program, but guess what? Those teams that have to climb more uphill get their shit done.
So yeah, despite all the pre-emptive complaining that I'm sure people will do, I will absolutely keep my "Just win baby" mentality. Because the program HAS NOT WON ANYTHING since 2004. I will abso-fucking-lutely not give Michigan the benefit of the doubt and play the excuse game a lot of the fanbase loves doing.
But at the end of the day, this complaint has no merit. There have been plenty of seasons in the past where the schedule was MORE than favorable (rivals at home), and guess what the end result was? Yeah, they shit the bed. So, it doesn't matter. Complain, don't complain, the program hasn't won when it has mattered most.
Are you sure you’re a Michigan fan Leo?
Peace bruv!
Minnesota beat Auburn last year in their bowl game. I think PJ Fleck is very legit and I believe Harbaugh absolutely can lose this game. I also have a nagging suspicion Fleck just might be a better coach than Harbaugh.
That schedule is strange.
Also, wasn't there strong talk/implication earlier that the Big Ten would not start the season until mid/late Sept? Now they start Labor Day weekend (which I like as a fan, but maybe not a good idea from a public health standpoint).
All of 2020 has been strange, so as far as I’m concerned this is par for the course.
August 5th, 2020 at 10:28 AM ^
The only implication of a delayed schedule was that the PAC12 announced one and people thought the B1G might do the same.
The delay makes sense for the PAC12 given the current “surge” of COVID in AZ and CA. Best guesses from the “experts” is that the Midwest has a greater chance for a major increase much later in the year.
Delaying the schedule removes any (or most) flexibility in scheduling should something new crop up during the season. The B1G schedule now has 3 bye weeks for each team before the championship game should a team need to reschedule or postpone a game during the season.
My guess is that the season will start but probably won’t finish. If we can’t get “professional” baseball players to follow safety guidelines there is nearly zero chance college athletes surrounded by thousands of other college kids will be able to do better...(see Rutgers, LSU, and the UM teams that had practices suspended)
Ohio State and Illinois are going to ruin it all for everybody on Thursday. And Ohio State will claim B1G Champs at 1-0 when they win, everyone tests positive from both teams a day later and the B1G cancels the season.
The league also will use a third-party laboratory to conduct centralized testing and "consistency in surveillance and pre-competition testing."
Hopefully this means teams wont be able to game the system before big games.
August 5th, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
Laboratory owned by the one OSU grad who made good for himself.
August 5th, 2020 at 10:58 AM ^
All of you complaining about Michigan's schedule? Sparty gets at PSU, at Michigan, Bye week, home vs. OSU. They may not score a TD for 4 weeks.
August 5th, 2020 at 11:22 AM ^
Well yeah, conference bottom dwellers tend to have really hard schedules.
August 5th, 2020 at 12:37 PM ^
There won't be an intact couch left in East Lansing by the early morning hours on October 4th.
I actually like this...a lot. I'd be all for keeping a 10 game conf schedule and just having 2 non conf games a year. Who knows maybe that would get dull as well. Play two non conf games; one being a legit big time game and then one MAC school.
August 6th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
I don't see a loss on our schedule.