Analyzing the 2022 Football Schedule | Best of B1G Today | Jan. 12, 2022

Howard Griffith and Dave Revsine analyze the 2022 football schedule we're going to get a new schedule from the big ten for the 2022 conference football season the reason for this you'll remember there was a schedule that was released in 2018 for the 2022 season and some seasons moving forward but those had to be adjusted in 2020 or there were adjustments i should say made in 2020 due to the pandemic and then there's kind of a ripple effect going forward and so you end up with games being played in different places in in different years than you had anticipated because of 2020 and so now you want to adjust it just to keep things from being too far out of whack so worthy don't get it too far out of whack guys let's get to the uh big story and let's go big picture first as to what's changed and the big story is really the changes and the location of six conference games was changed due to those adjustments that have been made in 2020 the goal here to avoid imbalances in terms of which school hosts division matchups and consecutive years there are also two changes made in crossover opponents and then the dates of some games were moved to bring them in line with rules that already existed about the sequencing of home and road conference games so let's dive into specifics this big picture there just so you know which games are affected two teams got new crossover opponents so this is big news teams that were not originally on their schedule that are now indiana will host illinois rather than northwestern and the wildcats will now go to penn state that is to avoid a situation where illinois would have played at penn state three years in a row so technically i guess four teams impacted there with illinois indiana northwestern and penn state all with new opponents then six matchups had their locations moved let's use indiana as an example the original schedule had them hosting michigan state they will now play in east lansing instead but they will now host michigan they were originally supposed to go to ann arbor let me just say you can see the full schedule at big10.org i i do not in any way endeavor to explain the whole thing to you we are just simply doing so well well i mean i i don't know i mean there's i got mixed reviews on that uh the other thing to keep in mind is they're going to be changes in future years as well we're handling 2022 but again this is a ripple effect and so you go through all of these years that were released and it takes some time to recalibrate it howard but big picture there what stands out in kind of what we outline you know i think one of the things that happened is most important thing that there's going to be scheduling balance for all these programs you mentioned uh someone having to go to play in penn state happy valley three years in a row that's a tough assignment so i think the opportunity to go back and adjust the schedule is the thing that's most important for me it is important to know too you see the release of these games there are still some changes that could come in terms of the day of the week there's always the possibility that a game could be moved to thursday early in the year they're certainly friday night games so it's not totally set in stone but what is set in stone right now is whoever one's playing the order of those games that that stuff is all new uh i do find it challenging to explain it howard the notion of actually putting it together i mean kudos to everyone at the conference office because the permutations and and the combinations of it are crazy let's dive into some specifics i mean we've got a schedule now let's talk about some of these games that we're going to be sitting over on that desk breaking down here uh some really good ones in the non-conference how about september 3rd ohio state hosting notre dame for the first time since 1995. remember cyhawk is september 10th you got oh you at nebraska big eight big 12 rivalry that's september the 17th a day that also has penn state on the road at auburn remember they played the thriller in happy valley last year you got indiana and cincinnati they will play again in late september but i mean notre dame ohio state that is going to be special why because marcus friedman is going to be leading notre dame in into the shoe how about james lord knightis who already has a very prominent role at notre dame helping develop a lot of those linebackers so there are a lot of things that are going to be exciting about that but then you go on to the field this is probably going to be a top 10 matchup you look at the the what ohio state is bringing back they're losing a lot at the wide receiver position but have we've seen already they are loaded at that spot no issues there so there's going to be some great games there then obviously you mentioned oklahoma nebraska right that used to be a marquee game every year it had the prime time spot and now we get the chance to see that probably has lost a little bit of the luster because of the coaching changes and the players that are leaving but it's still going to be a fantastic game i think so too i mean it means a ton to nebraska fans and you think about hosting that game against arrival nebraska has done a lot of really good work in the transfer portal i think they feel like they have improved their team significantly and lincoln riley's departure not to take anything away from brent venables i'm sure that he will ultimately do a really good job but it's going to be different at oklahoma right it's not going to be the same team they came up against this year i am fascinated by notre dame ohio state i mean you talk about two huge brands that is these are the kinds of games i think we all anticipated when there was a sense when the college football playoff was announced and there was a sense that scheduled strength was going to play into who got in and who didn't now in hindsight i'm not convinced in the house i go back to this this is a great game it's a great and i think the marcus freeman angle there's so much there yeah there's so much that's going on not even on the football field when you think about him getting to this point and leading uh this notre dame team in there it's going to be fascinating remember ohio state made a push for marcus friedman to become the defensive coordinator two years ago or a year ago it didn't quite work out for him and now they get a chance to go against his defense yeah it is amazing the connections between that program right off the bat i love penn state going to auburn as well i mean that was a a great game incredible atmosphere in happy valley this year and you know i mean it's just so unusual to have these sec teams on the road at the big ten the big ten teams on the road in the sec so should be really good the conference games though are are the ones we we typically salivate over the most here given that we are the big ten network a reminder and we mentioned it earlier i think it bears repeating northwestern nebraska going to play in dublin in late august so that is we've gotten that assignment that is a week we're still campaigning behind the scene we can't get the bus there so we'd have to figure out another way another means of transportation uh week one features penn state at purdue that's pretty good a couple bowl teams from last year wisconsin ohio state was originally supposed to be in november that game moves to september howard that's a big game you've got the championship game rematch michigan and iowa in iowa city october 1st october 29th has two huge games in the east we finish it off with rivalry weekend and you see a couple of the matchups there but there are so many good ones let's go through a few of these i mean what excites you the most as you look through those conference games the ireland game is really exciting to me partly because right after that northwestern has a buy immediately after the right game so they're going to end up getting two buys this year so that could work out really well for them as they continue to get better but then the games they have after that duke southern illinois miami of ohio those are very much winnable games for them you look at duke they have a new coaching staff in place now so can northwestern get back to what they normally do i think that's going to be a big part the game plan or the strategy or history has shown us they have a bad year they bounce back and go to the championship game i'm not saying that's getting ready to happen but let's find out yeah there'll be an interesting team to follow for sure because it was crazy to see just how much it dropped off after they won the the big ten west and of course nebraska fans a ton of anticipation and excitement over that program as well so really weeks you've got illinois and wyoming in week zero as well so the week zero thing worked well for the illinois sheriff too fast they're going to do it again that of course a non-conference battle how about uh wisconsin ohio state and again that game originally was supposed to be in november but ohio state's got a nice run early on uh five straight home games to start the year now some challenging conference matchups for the buckeyes and we'll dive deeper into their schedule but when you think about games that could kind of define each side of the big ten and how things stand relatively that's a really big one early on it's significant and but it's it's at the shoe so they get another opportunity to to go out and defend their their home field and you mention uh the home games that they have but this is going to be fascinating for this ohio state team because they're going to be in the national spotlight like they always are but particularly after playing that marquee game then you look at the next four games they are very winnable games for them before they have to go on the road so this is going to be a fascinating team they'll continue to watch and they could set themselves up really early with a big win do you think the fans are going to be fired up in iowa city when michigan comes to town after what happened in indy they'll be absolutely fired up but this michigan team to me and iowa these are teams that really have seemed to found who they are particularly when you look at iowa from a defensive standpoint can they continue to maintain that type of level or are they going to need that offense really to step up to try to help them but this michigan team they have to reload but they've done an outstanding job recruiting yeah that's going to be fascinating to me too is kind of what their defense looks like i mean yeah they they got a lot to replace particularly up front i mean you lose hutchinson no job you just think about kind of where did you start the conversation each week with michigan as we figured out how good they were you started the conversation yes on the defensive side with the defensive ends they have to replace both those guys so it's a challenge that'll be their first road game hostile environment iowa city and again i you know hawkeyes are uh they're they've got to figure out the quarterbacks but i gotta figure out the offense probably in general but they'll be really good on defense again you know that and they're gonna have to be because it's michigan quarterback situation that still has to play out this year who's gonna ultimately be the starter but they have two very capable quarterbacks that can lead this team to a big ten championship i know i'm i'm really interested because i i do think you have to figure out a way to engage j.j mccarthy even more yeah in the offense than you did this year and how that plays out kate mcnamara fascinating the big ten schedule for this coming Diving into the Michigan schedule season again released today if you are a big picture person this is it in an easy to comprehend format again if you want to study it in greater depth then i saw howard just a minute ago diving into that western illinois team trying to figure out what minnesota's got in in week two uh you head over to big10.org and go to the school websites i think it's fair to say this information will be widely available today and dissected in great detail now that it has been released but i do want to get into some specific schedules we touched down michigan a little bit but let's dive into this schedule and see what the defending champs have in the michigan wolverines the first five games howard are exactly what originally was scheduled for michigan so you talk about a lot of teams saw a lot of changes not the case off the bat for them fairly cushy non-conference all at home they don't leave the state of michigan until october 1st in that game we were talking about in iowa city starting with the indiana game though seven dates in a row are different from the original schedules this is a very different order of games aside from obviously the one that is set in stone ohio state and columbus to end the year so aside from the buckeyes what stands out here when you look at michigan's schedule i think one of the things that all really stands out because we just talked about what they need to ultimately replace on the defensive side but when you look at the opportunity colorado state hawaii uconn and then they have to play maryland gives them an opportunity like it did last year to build that offense now they have an opportunity to really gain a lot of confidence on the defensive side they'll be ready offensively but now they have to make some adjustments and have to have some players step up in the first four games really give them an opportunity to establish that i'm with you the league is so good that if you're going to play a cushy non-conference schedule i don't think it's going to come back to bite you in any way people like to have marquee games and i think the washington game at least on paper last year was a marquee game it did not turn out to be but but this is a year where michigan probably needs that because they're going to have a ton of talent but they have to fill a lot of voids and they got to figure it out uh you look at michigan state and penn state both at home that sets up nicely are those figured to be huge games i mean kind of when do you where do you play michigan state where do you play penn state where do you play ohio state ohio state on the road michigan state penn state at home i i think that's a good arrangement you look at that michigan state team this is a michigan state team that's going to be more talented than they were last year i think so i really believe even without walker yes i believe they will be more talented they'll have to get the production out of the running back position probably a little bit different because walker was a special player but they do have more talent that's coming up particularly at the wide receiver i think they're starting to get some of the defensive players that they want to play on that defense that they need to really play in to be difference makers so i think this would be a big year as far as the jump being made from a talent standpoint for michigan state they're finished in the top 10 this year first time ever that michigan ohio state and michigan state have finished in the ap top 10 in the same season so a lot of strength in that big ten east let's go to ohio state and Diving into the Ohio State schedule i think the first thing that stands out to the buckeyes with the buckeyes i should say is five home games to start the year the first road game is now not until october the 8th they play one road game before october 29th they have eight home games in all they go to michigan state penn state and maryland so those are some tough divisional road games and you look at the crossovers do you think about the teams that are expected to compete at the very top of the west i mean i would put wisconsin and iowa in that group again we'll see whether or not northwesterners they'll bounce back at all but certainly wisconsin and iowa are expected to and ohio state plays both of them so again i know you start with a lot of home games there are a lot of challenging games and a lot of potential landmines there for the bucket but those crossover games are the ones you just mentioned are going to be significant because we know these teams are going to be better i do not and i don't think you expect this wisconsin team to be anywhere near what they were playing like last year i think they're going to find their groove and be able to maintain more stability on the offensive side so there'll be some challenges on the buckeye is the most talented team in the conference yes we say that every year but there are still teams out there that play the game very tough hard-nosed and it'll be a chance to really see what this new look offensive line is going to look at look like for ohio state as well but as they gain confidence in the early part of the season yeah and again that game against wisconsin you get a pretty good gauge of where your offense is i know wisconsin's got a ton to replace on defense in the secondary certainly the linebacker spots but they always find jim leonard's going to figure it out i just feel like i'm just going to go out on a crazy limb and i'm going to say that that jim leonard will figure it out so that is the story and then is the defense better jim knowles trying to turn it around let's go to the badgers because i know Diving into the Wisconsin schedule you you wanted to look at wisconsin as well and get a sense for what's ahead for them back in the original schedule they actually were slated to open with illinois instead they have illinois state as their opener so that's a significant difference the illinois game was moved to october first we already talked about they had one of those location switch games remember so they had a location switch with the purdue game at ohio state at michigan state again that's been scheduled all along but that game with the buckeyes was moved up again you look at tough crossovers that's we talk about this all the time you and joshua and jerry and i when you gauge who's going to win the west one of the things to look at is who do you have to play from the east ohio state and michigan state as well as an improving maryland team that's not easy for wisconsin yeah it won't be easy and that's significant when you start to talk about the scheduling and also they're road games but you look at those crossovers they're going to be difficult for them but one thing that they have we talked about coach leonard they figure out a way to play defense for the badgers and and i think that'll take some of the pressure off but these are big time road games that they have to play this is also a maryland team that's making that jump as well they're starting to get a lot better and a lot more consistency have that opportunity to build off the bowl game win which was huge for yeah let's look at maryland real quick i Andy Katz talks about the Penn State win over Rutgers know maryland interests you as kind of a up and coming team the bowl game was unbelievable lots of excitement around this program again won 54-10 non-conference includes an smu team that won eight games but they lost their head coach in sunny dykes first three conference games at michigan home against michigan state home against purdue that is not easy howard again that game with the spartans was originally supposed to be the season finale it was one of those games that was moved around you believe this team that can make a move right i think they can make a move but you look at that by right you know right before they have northwestern then all of a sudden they have to go on the road to wisconsin on the road to penn state and then have ohio state at home finishing up with rutgers so this is a team that much like this year where they had that law and they really couldn't get things going they're going to be in that same type of situation so the non-conference in the early part of the seasons are times that they have to go out and get those wins you want to talk about a team that carries some momentum into the offseason maryland certainly fits in that category and uh you know mike oxley always says the best is ahead yeah and we'll see but you certainly got a feel at the end of the season the best could be ahead for maryland and one of those teams could they be the team that makes a move so hard to do yeah it is really hard to do but again you know we would have sat here a year ago and if you would have told me michigan state was going to finish in the top 10 i would have told you you were completely out of your mind so yeah yeah that is the beauty of it i cannot wait to get on that bus with you assuming we have the bus we've got to figure out the ireland thing and i know i keep bringing it up yeah i'm hoping that maybe we can add a little extra pressure incentive maybe get the suits to send us over there i think it would be a great opportunity for us to buy it well it would be and you know i i just think any time you get a positive cultural experience together right this is an educational network along with being a sports network yeah the universities our team so we ought to try to work this out yeah that's a little educational yeah or maybe we can educate over there professor griffith could give some sort of a speech in a pub somewhere we'll have to work on that over some guinness [Music]