AD = Schedule maker for a day

Lot of people saying NDSU.

I don't know. They have a lot of kids every year who feel slighted to not have gotten a Gopher offer.

They get kids like Lance and Watson. It's their Superbowl.


I don't see it ...
I agree. I guess I can see the draw for some sort of regional match-up like this. But there really is not much upside, except that NDSU, South Dakota State, or South Dakota might being a good contingent of fans. If the Gophers win... most people yawn. If the Gophers lose, which is certainly possible, Star Trib columnists rip them for decades. I'd much rather play UMass or something. It's a more likely win, it's FBS, and a victory means as much (or more) to the casual fan than does a win over one of the regional schools I mention. BTW, I think any one of those schools would likely beat UMass by a wide margin.
 

I agree. I guess I can see the draw for some sort of regional match-up like this. But there really is not much upside, except that NDSU, South Dakota State, or South Dakota might being a good contingent of fans. If the Gophers win... most people yawn. If the Gophers lose, which is certainly possible, Star Trib columnists rip them for decades. I'd much rather play UMass or something. It's a more likely win, it's FBS, and a victory means as much (or more) to the casual fan than does a win over one of the regional schools I mention. BTW, I think any one of those schools would likely beat UMass by a wide margin.
We should never play an FCS in football if avoidable

If we do play one we should play one from far away nobody has ever heard of.
 

I think the Gophers have actually done an OK job recently; Colorado, Oregon State, TCU, Syracuse. North Carolina, Mississippi State & Cal upcoming.

The ones I wouldn't mind seeing:
-Washington (Washington State seems too difficult to get to)
-Kansas/Kansas State
-Boston College
-South Carolina
-Miami/Florida/Florida State (at least 1 of them)
 

I can't believe nobody wants to go to Hawaii ...

You guys are the worst!
/s
 

We should never play an FCS in football if avoidable

If we do play one we should play one from far away nobody has ever heard of.
Coward

I can't believe the people in this thread who never want to challenge anyone and play big schools in big games on big networks. Raise your expectations a little bit everyone.
 



Coward

I can't believe the people in this thread who never want to challenge anyone and play big schools in big games on big networks. Raise your expectations a little bit everyone.

Correct, he said FCS. There are no big schools in big games on big networks if you play an FCS school. Its an overflow game on BTN or lost on ESPNU. It is a lose-lose.
 

Correct, he said FCS. There are no big schools in big games on big networks if you play an FCS school. Its an overflow game on BTN or lost on ESPNU. It is a lose-lose.
2 different issues I was addressing. One, a game against NDSU is a better game competitively and in terms of attendance, tv viewers than most of the games against the dregs of the FBS. Two, I'd like to see at least one non-conference game against someone likely to be in the top 25 or ideally top 15. Too many people seem like they'd rather schedule 3 easy games.
 

Lot of people saying NDSU.

I don't know. They have a lot of kids every year who feel slighted to not have gotten a Gopher offer.

They get kids like Lance and Watson. It's their Superbowl.


I don't see it ...
I wouldn't even go as far as saying it is NDSU's Super Bowl - over the past 10 years or so they have been flat out the better program but I sense that is trending the opposite way the last 2-3 years as the Gophers have become a much better program.
 



Year 1
Oklahoma State
UTSA
Army

Year 2
Notre Dame
San Diego State
USF

Year 3
Miami, FL
Navy
SMU
 

I want to play Hawaii, for the extra game and an excuse for a road trip.

Would be a nice recruiting bonus too maybe.
Ironically, in an AirBNB south of Hilo as I type...

Believe we are 0-1 versus the Rainbow Warriors. Glen Mason's first game as Gophers HC...and also my first game as a Golden Gopher fan (watching on one of those large screen TVs back in the day at a neighbor's house). Beat soundly. I wondered out loud what was I doing committing to being a Gopher...Some 25+ years later mostly no regrets...

Revenge match for sure...
 

Georgia popped up a couple of times.

Probably more of a bowl match-up but that is my bucket list game after anyone in the Rose Bowl due to my Bulldawg roots.

Would love to get together with my rabid Dawg friends and proudly display Maroon and Gold and teach them The Rouser. Unless PJ is a miracle worker chances of actually winning are low...but we did beat a supposedly good Auburn team so one can dream...
 

One, a game against NDSU is a better game competitively and in terms of attendance, tv viewers than most of the games against the dregs of the FBS.
The first bit could well be true, if you're talking about a MAC team.

Second bit, not at all true for TV viewers. In stadium, yeah NDSU fans would outnumber Gopher fans who don't care about playing a JV team while it's NDSU's Superbowl. They dream of reliving the glory days of the 2006 and 2007 games in the Metrodome, but in US Bank stadium with a 50/50 ticket split. LOL! What a joke
 



Coward

I can't believe the people in this thread who never want to challenge anyone and play big schools in big games on big networks. Raise your expectations a little bit everyone.
Coward?
The teams I wanted to play are:
Army
Navy
Notre dame
Oklahoma
UCLA
Tennessee


The schools I don’t want to play are South Dakota and northern iowa


But I’m a coward?
I don’t get it
 

Coward

I can't believe the people in this thread who never want to challenge anyone and play big schools in big games on big networks. Raise your expectations a little bit everyone.
Hardly anyone is saying that. I think there has been maybe one post where people have said we should schedule three easy wins. And... I haven't seen a post from you stating what our ideal schedule should look like. Please provide your non-cowardly suggestion.
 

Hardly anyone is saying that. I think there has been maybe one post where people have said we should schedule three easy wins. And... I haven't seen a post from you stating what our ideal schedule should look like. Please provide your non-cowardly suggestion.
My post was toward the bottom of the 1st page, #29. I will say most of the suggestions on here are better than what we actually have scheduled.
 

My post was toward the bottom of the 1st page, #29. I will say most of the suggestions on here are better than what we actually have scheduled.
Got it. I see it now. My mistake. But I am curious... your schedule suggests we play only very solid FBS programs (with the lone exception being NDSU). Does any other school in the country do this? I spot checked some traditional helmet school schedules for 2022. Alabama, no. Ohio State, no. LSU, no. Clemson, no. Florida, no. Michigan, no. Georgia, no. Auburn, no. Texas, no. The list goes on...
 
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Year 1
Central Michigan
South Florida
@Hawaii

Year 2
Western Michigan
@South Florida
Texas

Year 3
Eastern Michigan
Connecticut
@Texas

If they get rid of the divisions I'm not scheduling anyone with a pulse.
 

Got it. I see it now. My mistake. But I am curious... your schedule suggests we play only very solid FBS programs (with the lone exception being NDSU). Does any other school in the country do this? I spot checked some traditional helmet school schedules for 2022. Alabama, no. Ohio State, no. LSU, no. Clemson, no. Florida, no. Michigan, no. Georgia, no. Auburn, no. Texas, no. The list goes on...
Most of those helmet schools have at least one big time non-conference opponent. We've got 4-8 Colorado. It's also somewhat easier for us to schedule multiple better teams since teams aren't as afraid of us.
 

Year 1
Central Michigan
South Florida
@Hawaii

Year 2
Western Michigan
@South Florida
Texas

Year 3
Eastern Michigan
Connecticut
@Texas

If they get rid of the divisions I'm not scheduling anyone with a pulse.
Agree. Schedule 3 wins because without a closed loop round robin a tiebreak between 3 teams that haven’t all played each other will be ranking. Can’t have losses
 

Agree. Schedule 3 wins because without a closed loop round robin a tiebreak between 3 teams that haven’t all played each other will be ranking. Can’t have losses
This is purely semantics, but: there won't be a tie-break. It will be simply stated as: the top two (CFP) ranked teams play in the conf champ game.

Hell, you could have an 11-1 team ranked higher than a 12-0 team. They'd still take the 11-1 team.
 

This is purely semantics, but: there won't be a tie-break. It will be simply stated as: the top two (CFP) ranked teams play in the conf champ game.

Hell, you could have an 11-1 team ranked higher than a 12-0 team. They'd still take the 11-1 team.
If a team enters the season without control of their own destiny in the conference, I will never spend another dime on big ten football again nor another minute watching big ten football.

I’m okay with the gophers not really being in control of national title destiny, but if it is possible for 12-0 Mn to be left out, I’m done.
 

If a team enters the season without control of their own destiny in the conference, I will never spend another dime on big ten football again nor another minute watching big ten football.

I’m okay with the gophers not really being in control of national title destiny, but if it is possible for 12-0 Mn to be left out, I’m done.
I agree, that would suck. But I think it's an extremely small possibility. I choose to believe that, anyway.
 

The funny/sad/dumb thing is, as I believe you've already brought up, doing it that way could actually backfire.

Let's say we have this scenario at the end of the regular season:
- Ohio State 12-0 CFP ranked #2
- Michigan 11-1 ... was 11-0 ranked #3 going into the big game ... now ranked #5
- Minnesota 12-0 CFP ranked #6 (did not play either Ohio St or Michigan, CFP committee says our schedule is weaker so lower ranking)

Current way:
- Ohio St vs Minnesota in Big Ten Championship
- let's say Ohio St wins
- Ohio St CFP ranking will be either #2 or #1
- Michigan CFP ranking will be either #5 or possibly go up one if something happens
- Minnesota CFP ranking will drop

Top two CFP ranked teams in Big Ten CCG:
- for one, it's a rematch of the big game one week later
- let's say Ohio St wins again
- Ohio St CFP ranking will be either #2 or #1
- Michigan CFP ranking will probably drop to #6 or lower
- Minnesota maybe moves up one spot to #5



Obviously I'm cooking up the scenario in a biased way to try to make a point. But you get the idea.

It could work out, or it might backfire, either way I suppose.

Obviously the huge "danger" in the East-West format is if the underdog (most like West) pulls off the upset. That puts you in danger of having no team in the CFP. While the "danger" in the top two format is that you could blow the chance to have two teams in the bracket.

Much smaller target to hit with only 4 team bracket. But if/when it goes to 12, is a different story.
 

Coward

I can't believe the people in this thread who never want to challenge anyone and play big schools in big games on big networks. Raise your expectations a little bit everyone.
Year 1:
@Georgia
@Notre Dame
@Alabama

Year 2:
@Alabama
@USC
@Notre Dame

Year 3:
@Oklahoma
@Georgia
@Clemson

Cowards complain about playing every non-conference game on the road.
 

Most of those helmet schools have at least one big time non-conference opponent. We've got 4-8 Colorado. It's also somewhat easier for us to schedule multiple better teams since teams aren't as afraid of us.
For a lot of the blue bloods of college football, scheduling Minnesota is like Minnesota scheduling Boise State or NDSU.

It's a game Georgia, Clemson or even a school that is currently worse like Texas or USC doesn't get a lot from winning, and they could reasonably lose. It's not a huge TV draw to play us in Arlington, TX or something, and we're going to (rightfully) expect a home game in return, because we're Big Ten and don't do 1 way series.
 

The funny/sad/dumb thing is, as I believe you've already brought up, doing it that way could actually backfire.

Let's say we have this scenario at the end of the regular season:
- Ohio State 12-0 CFP ranked #2
- Michigan 11-1 ... was 11-0 ranked #3 going into the big game ... now ranked #5
- Minnesota 12-0 CFP ranked #6 (did not play either Ohio St or Michigan, CFP committee says our schedule is weaker so lower ranking)

Current way:
- Ohio St vs Minnesota in Big Ten Championship
- let's say Ohio St wins
- Ohio St CFP ranking will be either #2 or #1
- Michigan CFP ranking will be either #5 or possibly go up one if something happens
- Minnesota CFP ranking will drop

Top two CFP ranked teams in Big Ten CCG:
- for one, it's a rematch of the big game one week later
- let's say Ohio St wins again
- Ohio St CFP ranking will be either #2 or #1
- Michigan CFP ranking will probably drop to #6 or lower
- Minnesota maybe moves up one spot to #5



Obviously I'm cooking up the scenario in a biased way to try to make a point. But you get the idea.

It could work out, or it might backfire, either way I suppose.

Obviously the huge "danger" in the East-West format is if the underdog (most like West) pulls off the upset. That puts you in danger of having no team in the CFP. While the "danger" in the top two format is that you could blow the chance to have two teams in the bracket.

Much smaller target to hit with only 4 team bracket. But if/when it goes to 12, is a different story.
In a 4 team playoff, no divisions is 100% worse for your playoff chances.
In a 12 team playoff, no divisions is 100% worse for your playoff chances if their are auto bids for p5 champions


In an 8, 12 team or 16 team playoff without auto bids, it probably doesn’t go the same way each year. Some years the third best team being in the championship game might let them sneak in with a win. Some years they’d be in and fall out with a loss.

In an 8 team playoff with auto bids is probably the only time it is consistently beneficial to match up 1 vs 2 in the conference regardless of divisions
 

In a 4 team playoff, no divisions is 100% worse for your playoff chances.
In a 12 team playoff, no divisions is 100% worse for your playoff chances if their are auto bids for p5 champions
Please put forth the hypothetical scenarios explaining why this is true. Thank you :)
 

Please put forth the hypothetical scenarios explaining why this is true. Thank you :)
In a 4 team playoff:
Top two guarantees one of your top 2 an extra loss. So it hurts your chances of getting 2. In the case of the big 12, it literally cost them a playoff birth last year IMO. Ok state lost a rematch and Cincinnati went instead.

In a 12 team playoff, having the top two play might cost home games and prevents the opposite division champ from sneaking into top 12 (assuming divisions aren’t in balance) and if they are in balance it makes no difference.
In a 12 team playoff last year, if Michigan loses to Ohio state in rematch neither finish top 4 (if ok state had won) Whereas playing Iowa in the championship game had the benefit of an easier game to keep Michigan in top 4….but if Michigan lost…would have snuck Iowa into top 12. Benefits either way with imbalanced divisions.
In a 12 team playoff…1 vs a team ranked between 13-15 is actually best…because it is an easier game for the 1, a loss wouldn’t knock them out, but a win for 13-15 would sneak them in.
 




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