Latest Sagarin Ratings: Michigan highest rated team from the B1G
Michigan is the highest rated team from the Big Ten at 15. Wisconsin is right behind at 16 and is ultimately projected to finish higher. Nebraska is 19; MSU is 21. This tells me that if Michigan beats Nebraska and Ohio, it will get a BCS bid along with Wisconsin after it wins out and crushes State in a rematch.
November 13th, 2011 at 8:26 AM ^
A little bit of Fantasyland there but I'd love for your story to come true.
Defense is the key.
November 13th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
and put another at-large potentially in play. We have to win two toss-up games. Then...
In this Nov 7 update, Palm projects
Title game: LSU vs Stanford
Rose: Wisconsin vs Oregon
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs ?
Sugar: Alabama vs ?
Orange: Clemson vs ?Boise State and Cincinnati still have to go somewhere, so only one at-large spot is open.
What then does Palm think the Fiesta would do with the next choice?
The Fiesta gets the first choice of selections for its game in this year's rotation, followed by the Sugar and Orange. The Fiesta can chose from Boise State, Cincinnati, Houston, Michigan, Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech.
Michigan blows all of those other teams out of the water in terms of fan base and marquee value. Not even close. Also, Michigan's fan base would not be jaded by a recent run of success, as sometimes happens with other schools.
and then finishes with
Them's the breaks. Note that if either of the other bowls had first choice instead of the Fiesta, Oklahoma State would almost certainly be that choice. Also, if the Fiesta did decide to choose Boise, OSU would almost certainly end up in the Sugar.
Again, Michigan "blows all of those other teams out of the water in terms of fan base and marquee value".
November 13th, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^
Considering Stanford and Boise lost.
November 13th, 2011 at 8:27 AM ^
link ?
November 13th, 2011 at 8:40 AM ^
....party at my house. Obligatory drinking commences and doesn't cease.
November 13th, 2011 at 8:43 AM ^
If OK St. loses we may sneak into NC game.
November 13th, 2011 at 8:49 AM ^
grow out our mustaches for this sneaky caper??
November 13th, 2011 at 8:52 AM ^
.....for I just discovered that I ran out of razor blades.
November 13th, 2011 at 8:53 AM ^
Actually, I would say that he has us ranked 2nd. Sagarin says that his predictor is the most accurate and that has Wisconsin ahead of us. I don't think we are the second best team in the conference, but we are on are way upward.
November 13th, 2011 at 9:08 AM ^
And the predicator doesn't mean anything when the BCS only uses the ELO Chase, so I guess that makes use third? And don't we sit behind a boatload of B.1.G teams in the rankings already? We're getting WAAYYY ahead of ourselves talking about BCS implications.
November 13th, 2011 at 9:02 AM ^
Let's beat Nebraska, then see what happens. MSU has looked very beatable the past couple of weeks, and Wiscy will be looking for revenge if Sparty makes it. I still think UM plays in a 3rd/4th B1G team bowl game, but who knows. The name does carry well, which would help with at-large.
November 13th, 2011 at 11:28 AM ^
and losing are different things. We still need MSU to lose two for us to get into the Big 10 championship and one of their opponents is IU so I don't see it happening. I also don't see the Big getting an at large bid with everyone already having two losses. At larges will go to Bama, Stanford, and the loser of Okie St/OU. Houston will get the other unless they blow it or the pollsters suddenly vote them down because they don't want them in the BCS.
November 13th, 2011 at 9:24 AM ^
We are very very competitive with both of these leagues in Sagarin, despite everyone calling this a down year for us (which might be true, but still). A couple good teams at the top (though we are less top heavy), lots of teams decently, and a coupel horrible teams. It's a pretty fair match up.
November 13th, 2011 at 9:38 AM ^
Look, I like that we are ranked higher, but there is no logic to this whatsover. Clearly, MSU has played better than us, at the very least.
November 13th, 2011 at 9:58 AM ^
"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" comes mind. UM has larger score differential against two of the three common opponents; but head-to-head result proves your point, IMO.
November 13th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
November 13th, 2011 at 10:39 AM ^
so does Notre Dame.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
November 13th, 2011 at 10:53 AM ^
Excellent point.
November 13th, 2011 at 10:17 AM ^
Don't care what bowl we go to, just need to beat Ohio this year.
November 13th, 2011 at 10:17 AM ^
Don't care what bowl we go to, just need to beat Ohio this year.
<edit> That's right, needed to be said twice.
November 13th, 2011 at 10:25 AM ^
Don't care what bowl we go to, just need to beat Ohio this year.
<edit> That's right, needed to be said three times.
November 13th, 2011 at 10:51 AM ^
LOL, the B10 BLOWS
November 13th, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^
Little known fact, Sagarin does not watch any actual football games.
November 13th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
Too bad Segarin rankings won't take away the MSU loss and put is in Indianapolis.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:03 PM ^
although we are about fourth in the B1G according to that site. We should move up a little when their rankings come out later in the week.
After watching many games yesterday, I think an LSU-Okie St NC game would be very entertaining. The mad hatter would pull some weird stunts and oSu would throw it all over the lot. I'd definitely watch that one. And I also see Wisconsin and MSU in the B1G title game and Bielema would do everything in his power to destroy and embarass the fighting narduzzis.
I would be rooting hard for Wisco in that one. But if we win out and MSU's pride trips them up (twice) we could get a shot at the cheese farmers.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
Michigan gets invited to a BCS game and the Spartoons don't. He might light the couch in his office on fire.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:58 PM ^
November 13th, 2011 at 12:09 PM ^
The only thing we can do now is to win out...make it hard for them to not give us a BCS bid.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
LSU will win the SEC and oSu will win the Big12. If MSU wins the B1G then we'll only get one team in the BCS. If MSU beats Wisconsin in the B1G Championship game then they will go to the Rose Bowl and get Stanford and Luck will tear that defense apart.
If Wisco wins the B1G then they might get Stanford in the Rose and that would be a slugfest.
Compared to the rest of the country, the B1G is way down and won't get 2 spots, except maybe because the the non AQs are not as impressive this year. If Michigan was to Win out impressively and somehow get to and win the B1G Championship, that might be an interesting enough story to get the conference a second BCS game, but many things have to go just right (see Purdue and Northwestern) for us to get there.
If Michigan wins out, I see a Capital One Bowl against the third best SEC team, probably Arkansas and that could be interesting. They are fast and play pretty tough D.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
I like the optimism here, but why do we want to play in a BCS game? I'm not sure we'd do so well against an Alabama (this year, we'll kill them next season), or Oklahoma or anyone like that. I'd rather play someone from the SEC in the Cap One Bowl and improve our national perception.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
We want to play in a BCS game because it puts Michigan in the spotlight. That means more $ to the athletic department. The coverage would impress recruits. And we are still battling for many of the top recruits in the country. There's never any reason a team would NOT want to play in a BCS game.
November 13th, 2011 at 5:18 PM ^
I don't think UConn really wanted to pay $1.8 million to get crushed by Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl with only their closest friends and family showing up to support them.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
Our defense is looking good and the offense sputters way too often to compete with the better SEC teams. We don't have the team speed to play with the upper echelon teams of the SEC YET.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:30 PM ^
The answer to that is money baby.. Show Michigan the money!!!!
November 13th, 2011 at 1:04 PM ^
November 13th, 2011 at 2:16 PM ^
I will never understand why some people insist on Michigan can not beat any team. I'm not delusional, I know Michigan is not the best team in the country, but given the choice between playing a team at Florida's level this year or a team at Alabama's level. I want to watch the team play against Alabama, a loss does nothing, we were not supposed to win anyway. Keep it close or win that game is far better than winning the Gator Bowl against a barely bowl eligible SEC team or even worst LOSING.
November 13th, 2011 at 8:59 PM ^
I'm confused. I look at ESPN's BCS rankings and according to their chart Sagarin doesn't have us ranked at all.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/bcs/_/week/12/year/2011
According to their chart he has Auburn at 15, not UM. It shows his Big Ten rankings as MSU 21, Nebraska 22, and PSU 24, with neither UM nor Wisconsin ranked.
He also has Baylor ranked 9 but VaTech 18.