Michigan football might play a Big Ten only schedule and here’s what that could look like in 2020.
For Michigan football and college programs around the country, details about the upcoming season are up in the air. However, it’s starting to look more and more like the college football season will be anything but regular.
If it does happen this fall, which seems like a big if at this point, especially after the Ivy League called off its season Wednesday, it’s likely to be abbreviated. One idea that seems to be catching on is teams playing more regional schedules and for Michigan football and others, it could be a 10-game, Big Ten only schedule.
That’s at least according to the Tom Dienhart of the Purdue Rivals website ($), which cites a source as a Power-5 head coach, which states the conference, assuming its the Big Ten, is meeting July 9 to discuss the upcoming season.
Of course, this has been floated before and in the past few weeks, it’s been looking less and less likely that Michigan football would actually make the trip to Seattle for the season-opener against Washington.
There has also been talk about pushing football to the spring, but on Wednesday, Jim Harbaugh advocated for playing, unless it’s obvious that it’s not safe to do so. Going to a spring season would be a dramatic change but just a Big Ten only schedule would be different, especially if a 10th game was added.
As far as what that would look like, nothing has official has been proposed, but based on current schedules, here are three enticing and I think reasonable possibilities.
A 2nd Ohio State or Michigan State matchup
One thing to consider if the Big Ten does add a 10th game in a conference only schedule is that teams would likely want it to be evenly split among home and away games. I highly doubt Michigan, which already has five conference road games, along with half the conference, would be alright adding a sixth road game.
So, if the league just adds a 10th onto the current schedule, one possibility would be adding an game within the division and for Michigan, two opponents who make a lot of sense are Michigan State and Ohio State.
It would be fun to see a two-game series with either team, but it fits in other ways too. Ohio State and Michigan State both are scheduled for five conference home games and already host Michigan.
That means if Ohio State or Michigan State played a second game against the Wolverines at the Big House, it would give OSU/MSU an even split of home/away games and would do the same for Michigan.
And say what you will about Michigan, fans watch their games and if the Big Ten could have two games played twice during the season, Michigan-Ohio State and Michigan-Michigan State would be strong contenders for No. 1 and No. 2, simply based on TV ratings.
One team gets a shot at a sweep, another gets a second bite at the apple.
Another Big Ten West opponent
After looking at some of the schedules in the Big Ten, two teams that would make sense for Michigan football to play if another West Division team was added for a 10th game would be Minnesota and Iowa.
Just like with Michigan State and Ohio State, Iowa and Minnesota are both playing five home games already. Minnesota is hosting Michigan, but the Golden Gophers would make a return trip.
P.J. Fleck vs Jim Harbaugh would be fun to watch a couple of times and each program has aspirations of contending in their respective divisions this season. Adding an extra out-of-division game might be the most fair approach.
While playing Ohio State twice could give Michigan another chance in the Big Ten East standings, it would also make the schedule more difficult, as the only team scheduled twice against the Buckeyes.
No solution will be perfect, but if the decision is to play another non-division opponent, Michigan hosting Iowa or Minnesota are pretty much it in terms of options within the current schedule framework.
Purdue and Wisconsin both play at the Big House already, ruling them out. Nebraska, Illinois and Northwestern only have four home games, so they wouldn’t be a fit either.
An entirely new schedule
The last option that could make sense is simply creating a new schedule. Depending on the fate of the conference championship game, this could be the best option.
If the Big Ten decides it won’t play the title game in Indy, it could just have every team play a 10-game schedule and have one set of standings determine the conference champion like in the old days. That would leave open the door to co-champions but it’s an option.
I don’t see that as very likely though. If there is a season, even just a conference season, a championship game seems likely, as does some sort of College Football Playoff.
Maybe divisions would be changed or eliminated for one year and maybe instead of trying to add a 10th-game to the current conference slate, it could just be remade in the most fair and balanced way possible.
Ohio State vs Michigan could still be at the end of the regular season, but maybe other things could be moved around to make it the most viable in terms of travel and all things considered.
Another idea that seems worth exploring is a nine-game schedule with a regional non-conference game, against a MAC school or Notre Dame, even Cincinnati. A lot of things are up in the air but if a 10-game schedule is the decision, these feel like some of the most realisitc options.