Rooting Interests/Poll Nonsense
I don't usually care much about rankings and tend to be a bit annoyed by the "yay!!! we moved up one spot because some random team lost!!!" crowd.
However, given the possible tiebreaker this year in which OSU, MSU and Michigan all finish 7-1 in the Big Ten and whoever is ranked the highest in the poll goes to the championship, the higher up we are sooner, the better.
We also want a buffer of undefeated teams between OSU and MSU (we want MSU to be ranked as low as possible when Ohio State beats them so that they will fall the farthest).
That said, in terms of rooting interests, I see things as follows:
Root For:
- Baylor, TCU, Clemson, LSU (so that they stay ahead of MSU)
- Utah, Northwestern, BYU (improves our strength of schedule looking backwards)
- Penn State (we want Penn State to be 8-2 when we play. At that record they should be in the top 25 and a win over them in the final two weeks of the season could provide a crucial poll bump).
- Temple. (Partially to boost Penn State's ranking, but primarily because To Hell With Notre Dame)
Root Against:
- MSU (no need to say more here)
- Florida, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Memphis, Houston, Notre Dame, FSU, Ole Miss and Alabama (our competitors for poll slots)
- Virginia Tech, Oregon, Air Force, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Northern Illinios (weakens OSU/MSU's schedules).
Obviously, the most important thing to root for is Michigan winning the rest of their games, by large margins (aka what we always root for). However, we no longer control our own destiny so we must think about these things.
Did I miss anything/get something wrong? Think of too many teams? Too few? Like I said, I think obsessing over polls is annoying generally, but this year it might be a necessary evil.
October 25th, 2015 at 6:56 PM ^
I'm rooting for this bye week to be over and for Michigan to get back to playing football on Saturday.
October 25th, 2015 at 7:11 PM ^
October 25th, 2015 at 8:32 PM ^
In March.
October 25th, 2015 at 7:16 PM ^
+1
Going to print this post and put it on my kegerator. Thanks!
October 25th, 2015 at 7:43 PM ^
What year was it that you didn't know who was going to get upset? I think that was the same year App happened to us. I can hope for that and winning the powerball. Odds are pretty much the same.
October 25th, 2015 at 9:08 PM ^
2007. As soon as a team became #1, they would lose. This allowed a 2-loss LSU to get in, but those loses were both in OT.
It is by no means the norm to expect that to happen again.
Two-loss teams in the national championship picture are exceedingly rare.
October 25th, 2015 at 7:44 PM ^
mb. db post
October 25th, 2015 at 7:55 PM ^
The worst part about all this conjecture and such is that Michigan, prior to the MSU game, controlled its own destiny in a year 1 when nobody thought we'd do much but rebuild. We're two plays away from possibly being "right there."
Oh well, that's football, I suppose. There are a myriad of different scenarios that could make it happen -- none, however, are anything but extreme longshots. At this point, keep getting better week over week, win every game, and go into The Game firing on all cyclinders!
October 25th, 2015 at 8:13 PM ^
We need there to be 5 or 6 undefeated teams so that the rankings look someting like this:
1. BU 12-0
2. Clemson 12-0
3. Iowa 12-0
4. Memphis
5. Bama 11-1
6. LSU 11-1
7. TCU 11-1
8. OSU 11-1
9 Michigan 10-2 (after upsetting top ranked OSU)
10. MSU 11-1 (after getting blown out by OSU second last week)
We have to hope Utah loses once or twice more so that they fall behind us.
October 25th, 2015 at 8:20 PM ^
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October 25th, 2015 at 8:49 PM ^
I think a lot of people are missing the OP's point. It's not about Michigan making the Playoff. That's not happening unless some serious shit occurs. A bunch of good teams need to lose a bunch games for that to happen.
It's about Michigan winning the Big Ten East tie-breaker if we beat OSU, and OSU beats MSU. In that case - 3-way tie - the B1G tie-breaker is the Playoff committee's poll before the B1G Championship Game.
We actually want a bunch of non-B1G teams to remain undefeated so that OSU is forced to fall down to the bottom of the Top Ten where we will be ranked if we beat them. We don't want Clemson, LSU, TCU/Baylor to lose, which allows Ohio State to hang around the middle of the Top Ten even if we beat them.
October 25th, 2015 at 9:05 PM ^
THANK YOU!
October 25th, 2015 at 8:54 PM ^
October 25th, 2015 at 9:53 PM ^
I had forgotten about the 15 exptra practices. With JH, that is HUGE.
October 25th, 2015 at 9:35 PM ^
not that I was expecting anything from the clique
October 25th, 2015 at 10:25 PM ^
October 25th, 2015 at 10:05 PM ^
I love the optimism, but this team isn't going to make the playoffs this year regardless of what happens around them. I'm just rooting for UM to win out and finish with 10+ wins for the second time in a decade.
October 25th, 2015 at 10:27 PM ^
October 26th, 2015 at 2:31 AM ^
But if Michigan wins out the strength of schedule may help us get that last playoff spot. SEC will beat each other up, I doubt two teams will make the playoffs. I don't think the PAC12 will be sending a team. Clemson has the easiest path! I do think one will make it from the big 12 this season. My guess, 1.) Clemson, 2.) Alabama, 3.) Baylor/TCU 4.) Michigan(if we win out)/LSU/Stanford.
October 25th, 2015 at 10:18 PM ^
October 25th, 2015 at 11:02 PM ^
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October 26th, 2015 at 6:12 AM ^
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October 26th, 2015 at 2:24 AM ^
But NE is a train wreck with a Hoke like coach! I'm certain OSU will curb stump sparty in the horseshoe. Sparty will be so deflated that PSU may upset them in EL!
OSU will be all nervous coming into the big house. If only Rudock and offense can improve, I think we have a good chance upsetting OSU given our strong D!
October 26th, 2015 at 6:11 AM ^
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October 26th, 2015 at 6:03 AM ^