Here are the current schedules over the next 3 seasons. 2020 looks to be the most challenging in terms of B1G opponents
2018
1. New Mexico St
2. Fresno St
3. Miami (OH)
4. @Maryland
5. Iowa
6. @Ohio State
7. @Nebraska
8. Indiana
9. @Illinois
10. Purdue
11. Northwestern
12. @Wisconsin
2019
1. South Dakota St
2. @Fresno St
3. Georgia Southern
4. @Purdue
5. Illinois
6. Nebraska
7. @Rutgers
8. Maryland
9. Penn State
10. @Iowa
11. @Northwestern
12. Wisconsin
2020
1. TBD
2. Miami (OH)
3. Iowa
4. BYU
5. @Maryland
6. @Wisconsin
7. Michigan
8. @Illinois
9. @Michigan St
10. Purdue
11. Northwestern
12. @Nebraska
Why do we play Maryland every year?? Not that I'm complaining ... that is a very fair program from the East for us to be paired with. And it will be interesting to track the progress of Fleck vs Durkin over the first four years.
But anyway, the West schedule is static, Maryland is static, so the only variance over the first four years are the other two East opponents.
2017 - vs Mich St, at Mich
2018 - at Ohio St, vs Indiana
2019 - at Rutgers, vs Penn St
2020 - vs Mich, at Mich St
Yes it would seem on paper that 2020 is harder, though that assumes that Mich and Mich St remain top 25 type programs both. But I guess that's probably true.
We should schedule BAMA for that 2020 TBD non-conference game so that we can beat them again.
With BYU on the schedule being a defacto P5 game, would rather schedule another MAC team or even a FCS team.
Indeed, that is what Fleck said. I feel bad for this past senior class, which Fleck clearly couldn't have cared less about.
I don't believe Fleck tried to tank any games this year, but I do think he cared more about recruiting the next class than he did about coaching the team this past season.
After the losses to Maryland, Purdue, and Michigan St, it became obvious that going 8-4 in the regular season was not going to happen and even qualifying for a bowl was going to be close.
I agree that he decided to put more emphasis on the future and not worry as much about seniors who weren't "his players".
B]What year do you think we will have 3-4 good SR O-linemen??? And how many did we have in 2017? [/B]
Having four senior starting OL is putting all of your eggs into one basket. Not saying we shouldn't do that, if it comes to that. Just saying that it would be better to constantly have 2-3 guys who are three year starters, every year, on the OL.