Michigan DNP; moves to 19 in AP, stays at 17 in Coaches
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/rankings
Other B1G+ teams in Top 25 of either poll:
Team AP/Coaches
Ohio 4/3
Northwestern 16/15
Maryland 25/RV
Nebraska RV/25
Wisconsin, MSU, Rutgers, and Notre Dame all receiving votes in both
September 29th, 2013 at 12:20 PM ^
much love for the B1G.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:23 PM ^
winning will take care of everything. polls really dont matter until november when you have 5 teams vying for 2 spots. And if it does matter to you, dont worry because in the coaches we are 17th and the coaches is part of the BCS.
September 29th, 2013 at 2:07 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 12:26 PM ^
the fact that Ole Miss only dropped to 24 (from 21) after getting shut out and losing by 25 tells me all I need to know. Sure, it was Alabama, but its not like they were remotely competitive.
September 29th, 2013 at 1:43 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 2:03 PM ^
If Michigan hadn't turned the ball over so many times in the last two games, ranking would be much higher. Alas, it is not so.
September 29th, 2013 at 3:00 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 12:31 PM ^
Our SOS isn't looking too hot either. ND struggled against Purdue before losing handily to Oklahoma. UConn got routed by Buffalo. Akron, CMU and UConn have a total of two wins, over FCS teams. They all lost this weekend. Let us hope we just play down to our competition.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:35 PM ^
Everyone seems to think that this year is the UCronpocalypse, but I think our game against UConn was a total fluke. Even with our offensive woes, we handled them easily on defense. Our special teams made one unusual error, and our offense made a few usual ones. Without the unusual special teams error, the game is easily ours with all--was it four?--of our turnovers.
I think we showed enough development against UConn that I have great hope for the rest of the season.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:35 PM ^
turned the ball over 5 times against Buffalo yesterday! that might have been a problem.
September 29th, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 1:50 PM ^
Impressive. Most impressive.
September 29th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^
just saying.
September 29th, 2013 at 1:09 PM ^
The Akron game was a "fluke" in the sense that we completely underplayed our level of talent--hence, not a fluke (in my opinion). We consistently failed on both sides of the ball. Defense couldn't generate pressure or play coverage; offense turned the ball over half a dozen times.
The UConn game was a fluke in the sense that the special teams miffed one play that completely changed the rest of the game and made us play catch-up. But we caught up, and we overcame the other team because we played better than they did.
Offense still failed against UConn, but defense didn't. Hence: Enough growth for me to be encouraged.
September 29th, 2013 at 10:53 PM ^
You can just call it for what it was:
UTL2013 = Huge Emotional Win
Akron = "Oh, they suck, why bother?"
UConn = "OMG!! Panic!! We must prove our mettle.. #fail"
Bye = "HOKESMASH!!"
uMinn should = "Gopher stomp"
September 29th, 2013 at 12:58 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^
I didn't blame the game on the defense. I blamed it on the offense and the special teams.
September 29th, 2013 at 2:41 PM ^
Some people's ability to maintain a high level of optimism is astounding to me. According to this line of thinking, we've somehow managed to play 8 quarters in a row of flukey football.
Regardless of the circumstances, if you can't beat up on Akron and UConn you're probably just not that good.
September 29th, 2013 at 4:01 PM ^
It's just the offense. The defense is good. They needed a week to remember.
Our offense has growing pains. That's it.
September 30th, 2013 at 1:11 AM ^
The defense is good and hopefully improves with Jake Ryan's return along with young players getting more PT.
The offense can be good as long as they avoid turnovers. One stat I was amazed by during the UConn game: for the however many games Devin was starter he has more turnovers than any other player, during that same stretch only Manziel accounted for more TDs. Huge upside but also a big risk if Devin can't shake the TOs.
September 29th, 2013 at 8:23 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 9:53 PM ^
Not saying Akron is that good, just correcting generalizations about the ULL game.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^
Not surprising. We went from, "Wow, Michigan beat Mighty ND," to "Nice record but Michigan hasn't played anyone," pretty quickly.
And willya look at Maryland...
September 29th, 2013 at 8:26 PM ^
September 30th, 2013 at 12:24 AM ^
Well, "arguably" I suppose. Anything is "arguably" true.
They'd both probably be three-touchdown favorites over New Mexico State or Georgia State. They're bad, for sure, but it's a long way even from really, really bad to the two worst.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:28 PM ^
Here's the distribution of the votes this week:
14th - 5 votes
15th - 4 votes
16th - 11 votes
17th - 7 votes
18th - 7 votes
19th - 9 votes
20th - 10 votes
21st - 1 vote
22nd - 2 votes
25th - 2 votes
unranked - 3 votes
What it amounts to actually is a slight upward tick in our average ranking to 17.88 from 18.11 last week, so that at least is good news. After six polls now, our cumulative average position is 15.71 across 347 votes and the median and mode are both 16.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:32 PM ^
It's nice to see a low number next to the name, but let's be honest, we're not winning a NC this year and that is all that rankings really matter for. Our goal is winning the Big Ten and then the Rose bowl, and this goal is still attainable (although looking less likely after the last couple weeks),
September 29th, 2013 at 12:48 PM ^
Did you really ever sit there at one point during this season, or even before it, and think to yourself that this team was ready to win a NC? If so, you are a far more optimistic man than I.
Don't get me wrong; this is a talented team, especially with some of the younger guys. But there were going to be a LOT of growing pains this year with having to play so many young guys, and I think there could be again next year. Both tackles, including the best left tackle in America, have to be replaced going into next year. Gallon will be gone, along with Fitz, Gordon, Q-Wash, Jibreel Black, and others. The O-Line could again be completely overhauled, and its not a stretch to think that next year, Kalis could be the only returning starter on the line, especially with talented guys like Dawson, Kugler, Bosch, and Tillman waiting in the wings.
I'm going on a bit of a long rant here, but I guess I'm saying we should temper our expectations a little bit. Not to say this team isn't capable of big things, but if you asked me, I'd say that the level of experience won't be where we ideally want it to be until maybe 2015. The raw talent is already there, but having proven game experience, refined technique, and a lot of time in the weight room count for a lot.
But then again, I'm sometimes a glass half-empty guy. I hope to be proven horribly wrong and watch this team go undefeated.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:55 PM ^
I'm right with you on expectations and whatnot. My point was that falling one spot in the midteens in the rankings doesn't really impact our season at all. I just don't think it is something to stress over at this point.
September 29th, 2013 at 1:02 PM ^
They were just one ill-timed night on the town by a group of Bama players (and the police) from the NC.
September 29th, 2013 at 1:02 PM ^
It's all relative though. The big ten frankly sucks. I thought 10 wins +/-1 going into the season, thought more like 10-11 post ND, so at least going undefeated regular season didn't seem that wacky. But I also never thought that we could compete with a Bama, Georgia, Clemson, Oregon caliber team.
Even now though, we've had two very strong performances and two awful ones, and 90% of it is whether DG is turning it over. Obviously the OL is struggling with consistency, but with their youth their is some hope for the season. DG is a wildcard.
Regardless, we're looking at a PSU team who already lost once, Nebraska, who is a shit show (Pelini will probably get axed), MSU, who can't score points with their offense, and finally NW, who is one dimensional in the opposite sense of MSU.
Anyone talking about 7-5, 8-4 seasons needs to realize that Mich has the most potential of anyone in our division and Gardner has previously shown that he can take far better care of the ball than he has the majority of this season.
September 29th, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^
Agreed, I saw people saying 6-6 was our absolute best after UConn and really couldn't help but laugh.
September 29th, 2013 at 2:26 PM ^
7-5 or 8-4 could be very realistic.. Gardner has a huge issue with only focusing on Gallon, and staring down the WR he is throwing to. This wasn't an issue the first couple games because teams didn't have that much tape to watch.. Now he continues to do it every game and it is becoming easier for teams to just read him, or double team gallon. Who he still continues to throw to even though he is double covered.
I am all for hoping that he comes off this bye week and dominates again like he did against ND, but I won't hold my breath either..
September 29th, 2013 at 2:56 PM ^
I'd say worst case scenario, barring key injuries, is 8-4. People are forgetting that we destroyed CMU and torched ND's defense (and while ND lost yesterday, it was strictly because of Rees ints, not defense). People are forgetting how good Devin looked last year. People are forgetting just how bad the B10 is outside of OSU (luckily we don't play Wisco). People are forgetting that we have a pretty good defense. People are forgetting that we are about to get Jake Ryan back. People are forgetting that OSU should have lost to Cal and Purdue last year but instead went undefeated.
September 29th, 2013 at 9:13 PM ^
NC State beat CMU 48-14.
We beat CMU 59-9.
NC State lost to Clemson 26-14 (if it weren't for that BS call ...)
So, theoretically, we are better than NC State, and therefore should be able to beat Clemson.
While we are at it, Clemson beat Georgia, so there is that too ...
September 29th, 2013 at 1:04 PM ^
We will continue to to have shaking head moments of how did we just do that great play, as well as why did you just do that!
September 29th, 2013 at 8:55 PM ^
Truthfully, I go into every season thinking we might win the NC. Because you just don't know.
We won it in 1997, but that was not a year where you would have thought going into the season that we would be something special. The previous year was pretty ordinary, even weak.
Likewise, we were in the NC hunt late in the season in other surprise years like '85, '88, '03, and '06, where based on the previous year, you would have thought there would be no chance.
You never know how much water is going to be in the glass.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:51 PM ^
Until we lose a game, NC is still a possibility even if it is unlikely.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^
I believe if we go undefeated we will be passed over for a 1-loss SEC team or any other unbeaten. Just my opinion and I doubt there will ever be a chance to find out, but that was my point.
September 29th, 2013 at 1:01 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 2:11 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 6:13 PM ^
was passed over by a 1-loss SEC team, I think everybody in the other major conferences would join us in burning down NCAA headquarters. The SEC is not great enough to justify that (and they don't even look that good this year)
September 29th, 2013 at 10:12 PM ^
September 29th, 2013 at 12:32 PM ^
Maryland didn't play and moved into the top 25 for the AP. Michigan didn't play and moved down a spot in the AP.
Wonder why...
Oh right, Maryland plays number 8 FSU this week and for the media it looks a lot better for ranked FSU to be playing ranked Maryland.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:34 PM ^
Good catch.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^
But your media conspiracy theory sounds great too.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:49 PM ^
I have no problem with Maryland being ranked right now. It's better than the Coaches' Poll where Maryland is unranked and Nebraska somehow found a way back into the poll after getting obliterated by UCLA at home.
Northern Illinois deserves to be in the Top 25 as well.
September 29th, 2013 at 2:24 PM ^
Did you really just bash the media conspiracy theory by applying the transitive property to college football?
The internet may have just been destroyed.
September 29th, 2013 at 12:46 PM ^