Northwestern @ Michigan, Saturday, November 23rd, 3:30 pm EST, FSI

[Jeff Buchanan]

Just announced by the Big Ten today, the Michigan Wolverines' home finale for the 2024 season (thank God, the end is near) will be against the Northwestern Wildcats. It will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. and be aired on FS1. Don't forget, there's a bye for M next weekend, November 16th. Indiana travels to C-Bus for an interesting match-up pitting Cignetti v. Day. Its a noon game on FOX. I'll be watching the sidelines to see if Rayn Day loses it if IU's offense and defense are playing well enough to mount a lead that goes deep into the 3rd.

Michigan is ranked overall 55th, NWU 66th - a battle of CFB Titans for sure. I don't really care to do a deep dive and figure out the details but, the odd's makers can do that and pick a winner. Betting odds aren't out yet because this game is a couple days short of 2 weeks out. My best guess having watched a lot M football and none of NWU is that it will be a low scoring game because both offenses are limited (I could look up offensive production but not now, maybe latter). M is fighting for a bowl bid to one of the minor bowls and hoping to score an upset of OSU to "save the season." The former is much more likely than the later.

I'd travel for a Michigan game played at Ford Field. Interestingly, this used to called the Quicklane Bowl. No more. Just recently and in late October, the Ford Field post season CFB bowl was renamed the GameAbove Sports Bowl. GameAbove Sports is a sports company focused on business development, strategic investments, and empowering athletes. The game features a Big Ten team against a Mid-American Conference team. If M qualifies for a bowl and manages to play close to home, the game will be played Dec 26th at 2pm. WIth game tickets starting at $29, I'm likely to visit my son in Saline and go to this game.

For now I'll go with M winning this game something like 20-10 to become bowl eligible.

[THE_WIZARD_]

M by 50

[lineygoblue]

This is Michigan's last chance for a win this season. I don't know a lot about Northwestern's team this year, but I just hope that M's offense (such as it is) can mount some sort of a last gasp running game, and find a way to control the game and win with that. Its their only path to a victory. If they can't run the ball, they'll lose.

As for the following week, I have already made plans to be elsewhere, and doing other things. I won't be watching the upcoming curb stomping in Columbus. Kamala Harris had a better chance for a win, than Michigan has in Columbus. That's really all that needs to be said.

Bowl game? If M gets selected to the game (whatever its called) at Ford Field, I may make the trek there to see them, just to remind myself that attending a football game is supposed to be fun, if not expensive. I'll buy a $7.00 Diet Coke and a $8.00 hot dog and take my punishment.

The memories of this season will be filed under the same file as 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2020.

[iam416]

Evanston High is gonna be riding really high after their upset of CRD this weekend. Pretty good spot for Sherrone. Should be able to capitalize on Evanston High's overconfidence and really bitch slap those asscunts.

[Cody_Russell]

M 27
NW 17
No idea what the point spread is.

I expect it to look like some combination of the Fresno State and Minnesota games. IF M were to be upset and lose to NW, then Moore’s hot seat should be a thing. You can’t go 5-7 and miss a bowl game with 4 or 5 1st/2nd RD picks at Michigan.

Big game for Sherrone Moore. Go Blue. I’m expecting a win with this game.

[Hannibal]

I'll go with something like 12-8. Michigan will score six safeties and NW will score four.

[Hannibal]

Now I know what it feels like to be a fan of the annual Rutgers Maryland clash.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'm really glad someone at maizenbrew.com did this for the NWU game; nice addition of OSUs FPI so we can see how badly CRD is going hurt Michigan. I lack the interest or energy to do the metrics for either game:

Per ESPN’s FPI (Football Power Index), Michigan has an 80.2% chance of beating Northwestern and just a 7% chance of defeating Ohio State. Here’s a look at other FPI metrics and where Michigan ranks compared to Northwestern and Ohio State.

So, we're gonna get the 6th win v. NWU and become bowl eligible as far as FPI metrics are concerned and get ass-railed by OSU. I think a lot of us M fans that have some tie to the state of Michigan geographically would attend M v. a MAC team at Ford Field in Detroit - it's now called The GameAbove Sports Bowl having naming rights bought by this company just this October. Formerly naming rights belonged to QuickLane and before that the MotorCity Bowl owned by the city of Detroit (that was a while back).

FPI

• Ohio State - No. 1 (25.9)
• Michigan - No. 42 (5.9)
• Northwestern - No. 79 (-2.6) *

* FPI supposedly allows you to predict the game score, outcome and win probability but the formula is proprietary. It has correctly predicted game outcomes between FBS teams this season 75% of the time.

Strength of record

• Ohio State - No. 4
• Michigan - No. 46
• Northwestern - No. 73

Strength of schedule

• Michigan - No. 14
• Ohio State - No. 26
• Northwestern - No. 62

Remaining strength of schedule

• Michigan - No. 10
• Northwestern - No. 14
• Ohio State - No. 18

Game control

• Ohio State - No. 2
• Michigan - No. 51
• Northwestern - No. 70

Average in-game win probability

• Ohio State - No. 6
• Michigan - No. 78
• Northwestern - No. 91

Defensive efficiency

• Ohio State - No. 7
• Michigan - No. 40
• Northwestern - No. 50

Offensive efficiency

• Ohio State - No. 4
• Michigan - No. 86
• Northwestern - No. 118

[UMStan White]

K"amala Harris had a better chance for a win, than Michigan has in Columbus. That's really all that needs to be said.'

Heh. post of the week

[Jeff Buchanan]

Michigan opens as a 12.5-point favorite over Northwestern, with the over/under set at 38.5 points. (FanDuel).

I watched most of the OSU/NWU game played at historic Wrigley field - lots of red and not a lof purple in the stands. NWU's defense did a good job v. OSU's run game which is sketchy to begin with. Neither team scored in the 1st quarter with NWU getting on the board first at 12:34 of the 2nd quarter. That was the end of the scoring for the Wildcats, OSU went on to score 31 unanswered points. NWU never really threatened.

TBH, I don't think OSU looks the part of the #2 team in the CFP rankings ....... OTH, I don't think there really is a dominant or a few dominant teams this deep into the season. The #1 team, Oregon, nearly lost to Wisconsin. Michigan travels to Columbus for it's last game of the 2024 regular season with the likelihood of a win hovering around 7%. Not going to happen

All of that is immaterial to M v. NWU. The story line in that contest is will M become bowl eligible at 6 wins by defeating the Wildcats in AA on Saturday? Weather fcst calls for cloudy conditions with a chance of rain, high in the low 40s. IOW, the usual shitty cold and wet weather featured in SE MI this time of year. If the chance of rain turns into a, yep it's raining, this is going to be a dreary game most uncomfortable to even fans from northern climes. Intolerable to people like me from down south if I was attending and I'm not.

I'll go with 17 - 6, several points down from my opening 20 - 10 score based on the latest shitty football weather fcst.