MgoHacker

November 3rd, 2015 at 7:32 PM ^

Last year ohio state started at 16th. proceeded to beat #8 msu and #13 Wisconsin. Michigan should have an oppurtunity to one up that with top 3 osu and top ten iowa

Joined: 11/21/2013

MGoPoints: 2533

aratman

November 3rd, 2015 at 8:42 PM ^

Too many teams with 1 or no lose.  As bad as we want it, it is not happening this year.   Maybe next year.   Never mind that we have two loses, what about the fact that we came a goal line stand away from losing to a mediocre Minnesota team.  They are much, much, much better this year.  Punter fumble away from a shot even.      

Joined: 10/02/2010

MGoPoints: 3942

Moonlight Graham

November 3rd, 2015 at 7:35 PM ^

Based on quality wins and strength of schedule, Michigan State should be ranked ahead of Ohio State. MSU beat Michigan, OSU has beaten no one. Iowa has a better SoS than OSU. While at the same time they made Michigan the highest ranked two-loss team. 

I believe if MSU's win against UM was perceived as "convincing" or "well-earned" they would be at #3; and Michigan might not be the highest-ranked 2-loss team (definitely below Ole Miss) if ranked at all. 

I know this is sacrilige but I was very glad to see ND ranked ahead of MSU ... If MSU were to win out, the final four could conceivably be...

Alabama-LSU winner

Clemson

TCU-Baylor winner

Notre Dame

With MSU getting shut out because of their "weak" win against UM. Too bad it would need to be ND to do it, but I'd take it. 

Joined: 09/12/2011

MGoPoints: 7559

ESNY

November 3rd, 2015 at 7:39 PM ^

I wouldn't be surprised if the TCU-Baylor winner is left out again (assuming both teams are undefeated when they meet).  Their schedules are equally horseshit and if they both go undefeated into that game, that means Oklahoma and Oklahoma St, the only other teams on their schedule with a pulse, will each have at least 2 more losses.  Which means these two "top" teams will have a combined one good win between them.

Joined: 11/06/2008

MGoPoints: 12310

M-Dog

November 3rd, 2015 at 8:31 PM ^

So be it.  The committee just showed that they are serious about strength of schedule.

In prior years, it would be unheard of to rank an undefeated team from a top conference behind a team with a loss.  Now the committee just did it.  To multiple undefeated schools.

Good for them.  You want to go to the playoff, play somebody. 

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 257478

MI Expat NY

November 4th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^

TCU's and Baylor's rankings over the last two seasons shows that these rankings, like all college football human polls, retain a significant amount of bullshit.  If Oklahoma and Texas had TCU's and Baylor's seasons over the last two years, there's no way both would have been left out last year and both would be sitting where TCU and Baylor are currently ranked.  Name brand still carries significant weight in human polls, including the committees.  

Baylor and TCU so far this year = OSU.  That OSU is in the top three and Baylor and TCU sit where they do shows bias. 

Joined: 07/24/2008

MGoPoints: 8641

Gr1mlock

November 3rd, 2015 at 7:37 PM ^

3 B1G teams in top 10, 5 in top 25.   But please ESPN/SEC fans (redundant, I know), tell us again how the B1G is irrelevant and doesn't play real football.  

Joined: 12/24/2013

MGoPoints: 6257

Nitro

November 3rd, 2015 at 7:38 PM ^

To me, it looks like the committee's two primary criteria were win-loss record and name recognition.  OSU, Notre Dame, Baylor, and MSU are all too high (although OSU is understandable).  Iowa, Stanford, Utah, and Memphis should be higher.

Joined: 04/27/2013

MGoPoints: 17041

poseidon7902

November 3rd, 2015 at 7:56 PM ^

OSU matches up almost exactly to Iowa in pretty much every way except Iowa for the most part hasn't failed at winning convincinly.  Yet Iowa isn't anywhere near OSU.  There's no logic to the assignment of these rankings.  Bama shouldn't be in the top 10 let alone the top 4.  This is no different than when pre-season rankings give the SEC a statistical advantage over other teams because they are pre-ordained to be good so when they lose, it looks like a quality loss.  

Joined: 11/09/2013

MGoPoints: 5424

Nitro

November 3rd, 2015 at 8:08 PM ^

Conference-wise, we'll need OSU to beat MSU, to beat OSU, to win the B1G 3-way tiebreak or MSU to lose another, and to beat an undefeated Iowa in the championship.

We'll also need there to be no undefeated AAC teams, Notre Dame, Stanford, and Utah to all lose again at some point, and something that only leaves one SEC in consideration (LSU winning out being one such scenario).

That should be pretty much do it.  A one-loss champion from the ACC probably still gets in ahead of us, and if TCU and Baylor both end up with 1-loss again, we'd probably stay behind both of them.

Joined: 04/27/2013

MGoPoints: 17041

ThoseWhoStay W…

November 3rd, 2015 at 8:16 PM ^

I personally think our best hope of getting in is the SEC shooting its self. If old Miss wins out and there is a two loss sec champ because they own the tiebreaker against Bama a Two loss big ten (michigan )team gets in ahead of them because our losses are much better. The same can be said of the Pac 12 though i think it is unlikely. This is assuming we go to the conference championchip and beat Iowa who is high enough in the rankings to make that win look great. 

Joined: 08/15/2015

MGoPoints: 927

Perkis-Size Me

November 3rd, 2015 at 9:34 PM ^

Too many things have to go our way and a lot of craziness.

MSU has to lose to OSU, maybe lose another game, we have to beat OSU convincingly enough to climb within a spot of them, and just beating them period will be hard enough. Would need to take down a hopefully undefeated Iowa in the BTCG. Need there to hopefully be no non-P5 undefeated teams, no more than one SEC team in consideration for the playoff, and the list goes on.

I'm fine with not making the playoff this year. To be honest, even if we somehow snuck in, our QB play and overall offensive consistency is nowhere remotely close to what it needs to be to win those kind of games. It'll get there, but it's not there right now. That being said, a big time NY6 bowl game is still very much in play. We win out, and we absolutely get into one of those. I'd say that makes for a damn successful first year under Harbaugh.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 105681

San Diego Mick

November 3rd, 2015 at 7:46 PM ^

but whatever. Stanford at 11 and Bama at 4 is ridiculous, Stanford has been just as if not more impressive than Bama.

I just wonder where we might have been if we don't blow the MSU game like we did, I'm thinking at least top 7 or 8.

Joined: 05/11/2011

MGoPoints: 50644

M-Dog

November 3rd, 2015 at 8:42 PM ^

Neither does a 1 loss Ohio State.  They both would lose too late in the year.  It matters.  There would have to be a bunch of other teams that lose for them to bubble up back into the top 4 if they lose in late November.

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 257478