Michigan 7th in AP poll

Submitted by Wee-Bey Brice on

The annual AP poll that most were waiting for was released this morning, UM will begin the season #7 ranked team in the country. Fair ranking, IMO.

Michigan will open up the season ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll.

Time to go to work. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/iCNfi18J5x

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) August 21, 2016

Notable: Oklahoma and OSU both ranked ahead of us, obviously one of those will fall. Also, FSU. With Maguire being out, they will start a redshirt freshman QB. How is that any different than the big question mark we have at QB? Either way, FSU and Clemson matchup will drop one or the other as well.

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unWavering

August 21st, 2016 at 10:12 AM ^

  1. Alabama

  2. Clemson

  3. Oklahoma

  4. FSU

  5. LSU

  6. Ohio State

  7. Michigan

  8. Stanford

  9. Tennessee

  10. ND

  11. Ole Miss

  12. Mich St

  13. TCU

  14. Washington

  15. Houston

  16. UCLA

  17. Iowa

  18. Georgia

  19. Louisville

  20. USC

  21. Oklahoma St

  22. UNC

  23. Baylor

  24. Oregon

  25. Florida

Joined: 01/13/2011

MGoPoints: 22437

mGrowOld

August 21st, 2016 at 10:41 AM ^

I'm with you. I dont get the Tennessee love at ALL. I think, given their schedule, roster and coaching staff (especially the guy calling the plays) they are far more likely to end up 7-5 than 10-2.

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 213315

Avon Barksdale

August 21st, 2016 at 10:49 AM ^

You are going to be surprised lol. They are a lot like us. Multiple top 10 classes as upperclassmen now. They went 9-4 last year and blew leads vs Florida (when they had a QB), Alabama, and Oklahoma on their last drives of the game.

They are a real contender this year. Hurd is a monster.

Joined: 04/27/2013

MGoPoints: 12859

Wee-Bey Brice

August 21st, 2016 at 10:53 AM ^

The hype is similar to ours, really. They return a bunch of starters/contributors and the games they lost were winnable (gave up several leads late in games). Added a bowl blowout of a ranked team and there you have it... Hype machine.   

Joined: 05/23/2013

MGoPoints: 7413

Mr. Yost

August 21st, 2016 at 11:13 AM ^

We beat Florida 41-7.

They beat Northwestern 45-6.

Both teams lost games they could've won. Both teams return a ton. Both teams won respectable bowls in a BIG way. Hype machine indeed.

I actually think Tennessee will be solid this year. I don't see them being a playoff team like I think Michigan is...but I could see them in that same Citrus Bowl we were in as the SEC East champ and loser in SEC Championship game to Bama.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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jvp123

August 21st, 2016 at 11:30 AM ^

I'm always interested when someone says to wait until the first few weeks of the season. Since any team can beat any other team on any given Saturday, what is the value of a Week 3 poll vs. a preseason poll? All you have done is handicapped the lower-ranked teams based on a few weeks of performance. Since I've joined this site my idea has been to never release a single poll until all games are played (even conference championships). Then you have all the data necessary to find your final four ( which with the playoffs seem to be the only purpose of the polls now)

Joined: 07/10/2009

MGoPoints: 205

TrueBlue2003

August 21st, 2016 at 12:35 PM ^

When they counted in the BCS formula, they should have waited, but now that they're nothing but buzz generators, there is no such thing as too early.  These are meaningless and we've seen the committee do a pretty good job of ignoring early expectations (which weigh heavily on early season polls) and going against the AP and coaches polls by evaluating results on the field when the first CoFoPoff ranking comes out.

Joined: 01/05/2010

MGoPoints: 38075

Dapainufeel

August 24th, 2016 at 3:30 AM ^

That the AP feels Urban Meyer with 16 players who have never started, some of which are true freshman with zero college snaps, starting for OSU, but being ranked higher than Harbaugh with a veteran class, with one of the best defenses and only 2-3 new starters for UM ?? I can't help but think this is based mostly on a consensus belief with AP'ers that Meyer > Harbaugh. Nothing else can explain why UM is 7th and OSU 6th

Joined: 08/23/2016

MGoPoints: -16

Mr. Yost

August 21st, 2016 at 10:32 AM ^

They won a bowl game with no QB...just running RBs and WRs over and over and over.

Their system clearly works for them and has worked for them for awhile. Now they get their QB back.

Just because their program is disgusting and should go away for a year and cleaned up from the outside in doesn't mean the this team as currently put together is trash.

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898220

go16blue

August 21st, 2016 at 11:05 AM ^

How does them losing future classes impact this season, exactly? This was Mr. Yost's point - they're screwed long term, but for now they still have a lot of talent and a good system. Losing the coach is important, but I don't know that it's worth 4+ losses on a team like that, which is what would be needed to drop them outside of the top 25

Joined: 04/28/2010

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Mr. Yost

August 21st, 2016 at 12:28 PM ^

Those were complete overhauls...this was not.

Going from Carr to RR to Hoke are completely changing the program.

You went from Art Briles to Kendal Briles/Phil Bennett and a babysitter.

Just like Hoke to Harbaugh wasn't as drastic...and we actually got better. But it was the same players and the systems weren't THAT different. Not like when you were going to and from Rich Rod.

Comparing it to Michigan is irresponsible. 

Kendal Briles is the head coach on offense and they KEEP their head coach on defense who already was going to be the interim HC until the media storm hit. His name is Phil Bennett.

Grobe is there to make sure guys stop abusing young women and to be the face in front of the microphone. He's an outsider with a clean image.

They have 2 other HCs on the team to take care of getting the offense and defense ready. Both of those guys will be calling the plays. Baylor will look no different than it has in the past...it's the same 2 guys with the play sheets.

This is not some drastic head coaching change...they did not go out and hire Brady Hoke and all of a sudden they're trying to get under center and run MANBALL from the Power I.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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CarrIsMyHomeboy

August 21st, 2016 at 11:11 AM ^

Two of the four bullets you provide (loss of the 2016 and 2017 recruiting classes) only impact their future seasons, not this season. As for the two bullets that impact this season: (3) Grobe. It isn't unprecedented for terrible coaches to keep their new teams afloat for one or two years if they inherit a great team. Larry Coker used to be everybody's favorite example of that but Gene Chizik has since joined him. Heck, Malzahn seems to also be a pretty bad *head* coach, but even he got Auburn to the national title game in his first season. So I don't see Grobe catalyzing a massive failure to meet expectations. Especially since he's clearly gone after this year. (4) Starting QB Transfer. If losing your starting quarterback mattered as much as that implied, then we'd be doomed.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 7324

Mr. Yost

August 21st, 2016 at 11:42 AM ^

They didn't lose their entire recruiting class, folks!

They went from a top 20 class to #47 (scout) #56 (rivals).

For one year they have a medicore American Conference level recruiting class, lol.

I know it received a ton of hype...I get that. And it'll hurt them down the road. But they still got 15 guys, plus walk-ons and we're talking about ONE year. This year.

We're also not saying Baylor is Baylor (top 10)...we're arguing about them being #23. Again, that's an 8-4 team. That's not unrealistic.

If we were talking about them being a playoff team...yes, take all of that into account (although I don't think they were a playoff team anyway). But we're not. It's an 8-4 season with BAYLOR's schedule...the same schedule we laugh at each and every year.

They will sleepwalk their way to 6-0. If you don't think they can win 2 of their last 6...fine, but I'd disagree with that.

2016 Baylor Bears Football Schedule
Date   Opponent Time/TV
Friday
Sep. 2		 Demons Northwestern State Demons 
McLane Stadium, Waco, TX		 6:30pm CT
FSN
Saturday
Sep. 10		 Mustangs SMU Mustangs
McLane Stadium, Waco, TX		 2:30pm CT
FS1
Friday
Sep. 16		 Owls at Rice Owls
Rice Stadium, Houston, TX		 7:00pm CT
ESPN
Saturday
Sep. 24		 Cowboys Oklahoma State Cowboys 
McLane Stadium, Waco, TX		 TBA
Saturday
Oct. 1		 Cyclones at Iowa State Cyclones 
Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA		 TBA
Saturday
Oct. 8		 --- OFF ---
Saturday
Oct. 15		 Jayhawks Kansas Jayhawks (HC)
McLane Stadium, Waco, TX		 TBA
Saturday
Oct. 22		 --- OFF ---
Saturday
Oct. 29		 Longhorns at Texas Longhorns 
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX		 TBA
Saturday
Nov. 5		 Horned Frogs TCU Horned Frogs 
McLane Stadium, Waco, TX		 TBA
Saturday
Nov. 12		 Sooners at Oklahoma Sooners 
Gaylord Family OK Mem. Stadium, Norman, OK		 TBA
Saturday
Nov. 19		 Wildcats Kansas State Wildcats 
McLane Stadium, Waco, TX		 TBA
Friday
Nov. 25		 Red Raiders at Texas Tech Red Raiders 
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX		 5:00pm CT
ESPN
Saturday
Dec. 3		 Mountaineers at West Virginia Mountaineers 
Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV		 TBA

 

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MGoPoints: -9898220

EGD

August 21st, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^

Although I agree with your overall position, Baylor's fourth game is against Oklahoma State. So I am not sure they can just sleepwalk to 6-0. 5-1 though maybe. Also, there's a Northwestern State??

Joined: 09/16/2009

MGoPoints: 35199

Mr. Yost

August 21st, 2016 at 12:11 PM ^

My rage caused me to miss that. I still think they go 9-3/8-4...but yes, you don't sleepwalk over Okie St. - in fact, I'd make it a loss.

So 5-1. They finish 3-3...and go 8-4. That's a fringe Top 25 team and it'll depend on who they beat and when they lose. Lose the last 2 and you're out. Win the last two and the pollsters always reward momentum. So they traditionally would bump a Baylor in and push another mediocre 8-4 team out.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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pmark1210

August 21st, 2016 at 11:59 AM ^

7-4 seems pretty accurate. I can see 5-1 to start (ok st loss) and then it coming apart on them without Briles going into Austin. luckily for them their schedule is back loaded so they can get some adjustments done early.

Joined: 11/02/2011

MGoPoints: 2605

Gucci Mane

August 21st, 2016 at 3:30 PM ^

Terrible logic Mr. Yost. You keep saying Baylor can get 8 wins so that makes them a top 25 team, but you also say they have many easy wins. Their preseason schedule has nothing to do with how good they are. 

Joined: 02/10/2014

MGoPoints: -99957423

Mr. Yost

August 21st, 2016 at 4:16 PM ^

How is it terrible logic.

Follow me Guch.

If you're preseason #23...they're saying you're a 9-3/8-4/7-5 type team. Why are they saying that? Well, because that's the record of P5 teams that finish #23.

Preseason schedule, you mean, nonconference schedule - but I won't be an ass...that has nothing to do with rankings. So I think it's YOUR logic that's off.

These aren't strength of schedule rankings...

It's also not Power Rankings (simply ranking the best teams from top to bottom). If it was power rankings then yes...you have a point. But it's not. So BURR!!

I guarantee if you ask folks to simply rank the best teams 1-25, not taking into account last year, not taking into account how they could finish. Just straight power rankings...I guarantee you end up with a different order. Maybe not drastically, but it's not what AP and Coaches polls are...

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898220

Gucci Mane

August 21st, 2016 at 5:04 PM ^

By preseason schedule I did not mean non concerance schedule at all. I meant the schedule they have as of the preseason. Would have been simpler if I just said schedule I suppose. Anyway to me the point of polls is rank the best teams in order, not predict final win loss records based on schedule.

Joined: 02/10/2014

MGoPoints: -99957423

Mr. Yost

August 21st, 2016 at 4:26 PM ^

I missed them.

5-1.

Split with Texas and TCU.

Lose to Oklahoma.

Win 2 of 3 with the final 3.

That's 8-4. A borderline top 25 team depending on what they'd do in the bowl.

Now what's his name says it's a JOKE. So that's got to be a 5-7 or 6-6 prediction from him. I'd like to put some money down on that.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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Jackie Moon

August 21st, 2016 at 11:33 AM ^

There was a reason why Harbaugh loaded up the QB stable.  It seemed like he was going to have an entire team of QBs in the beginning.  Why not as important of a position as it is in the NFL, the college QB is still the most dominant position in college football.  I saw that first hand when Vince Young beat Michigan (not Texas, but Vince Young) in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

Joined: 04/29/2015

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