Michigan-related quirk as I pored over Rutgers’ schedule:
You guys plays in Orlando at UCF on 12/30. Then presumably back to Ann Arbor, and then have to travel to New Jersey for the game on the 4th. Rutgers on the other hand isn’t leaving the state after December 3; we just have a road game at Seton Hall in that span. Oh and it’s right before your matchup with Sparty.
Doubt it matters for W/L but might be a good Rutgers plus the points spot.
MSU’s first seven games are:
@ Minnesota
Vs. Penn State
@ Northwestern
Vs. Nebraska
@ Michigan
Vs. Minnesota
Vs. Northwestern
Soooooooft start (besides one)
compiled from reddit thread:
Games against fellow top 5
Michigan: 8 (all 4 2x)
Illinois: 7 (Michigan, MSU, Purdue 2x)
MSU: 6 (Michigan, Illinois 2x)
Purdue: 6 (Michigan, Illinois 2x)
OSU: 5 (Michigan 2x)
Games against bottom 4 (Nebraska, NU, Minnesota & PSU)
OSU: 7 (PSU, Nebraska, Minnesota 2x)
MSU: 6 (Minnesota, Northwestern 2x)
Michigan: 5 (Nebraska 2x)
Illinois: 5 (Northwestern 2x)
Purdue: 5 (Northwestern 2x)
Considering it’s during break, they might just go straight to NJ. Or at least probably will after NYD. I think they’ll be fine.
Both NW games and both Minnesota games, and a Nebraska and PSU game?? I don’t know what that means other than that MSU is gonna be getting a lot of hype by the end of that stretch. How much of it will be deserved is tbd
I like it. The route to a No. 1 seed does not face Minnesota or Northwestern twice each. That’s the drum I’ve chosen to bang.
Gonna be the most misleading 6-1 start in the country
Sobering. But, we got the good schedule last year and held serve on it, so, so be it.
Uhh MSU top 5?
I guess that depends on how they do in non conference they have Kansas/Battle 4 Atlantis/Louisville. If they did well during that stretch I don’t think people would question them after the soft part of their schedule in conference.
Who else would you have at #5? Maryland? Indiana? I think those 3 teams are all kind of in the same second tier with Michigan, Purdue, Illinois and OSU clearly a tier above them.
for our purposes yes
Maryland. But yes it’s a pretty clear top 4
Yeah I’d probably put Maryland at 5 too, but don’t think it’s egregious to put MSU ahead.
I can’t decide on which of Maryland, MSU, and IU I like the most. Theyre definitely the 2nd tier below the top 4 but above the next tier.
I can’t take issue with anyone having either of them 5th right now. But probably disingenuous to refer to it as a Top 5 in conference when those 3 are so bunched together with different question marks
I feel like Tom Izzo being a good coach who generally gets more of of his roster is a straightforward tie breaker, as little as I like to give him credit.
I agree. I would probably put them 5 right now if I had to pick someone
How many of Maryland’s projected starters would start for MSU?
I give MSU a program edge and think they will take a step forward but Maryland has the better roster IMO.
I will admit that I’m flummoxed a bit by Eric Ayala’s placement on many of these pre-season player ranking lists. He was really good? So was Scott?
Wahib, Scott and Ayala would start over their MSU counterparts, and while I would guess that Walker at MSU would start over Russell, up-transfers are always a guessing game. However, I am not certain that translates to a better roster because Maryland has really bad, or at least really questionable, depth.