Michigan fits Steele's "National Championship Mold"
He lists 14 teams that seem like possible national champions this year based on a long list of historic precedents. Of course, other teams on the list include Vanderbilt, Northwestern, and North Carolina(!) while teams that don't make the cut include USC, Louisville, Georgia and Texas (who Steele ranks #4 overall in his preseason picks.) So take it for what it's worth.
Wait. Didn't Steele say that we would finish behind MSU? This guy must be desperate to sell his magazine.
To make things worse... North Carolina? Really? Maybe he meant another sport?
It's an unusual way to look at things, but at least it's statistically-based.
However, Phil also needed to apply another precedent called "C'mon now, don't be stupid." If he'd applied that, NW, Vandy, and NC would be off the list.
It dawned on me suddenly that Urban Meyer could have just replaced his "Core Values" sign with this single phrase.
Why won't this damn thing moderate to a 6?
Thanks, I was proud of that one...
See, anybody can win anything!!!! Numbers and stats and stuff!! Please give me 8 dollars now.
nothing like ranking every team #1 just to sell copies!...also this is a bit OT, but has anyone else noticed the NBA advertisement on the top of the screen? kind of funny considering most people on this board cannot stand the NBA (at least from I have read from multiple posters over the past couple of years I have read this blog)
to like the NBA, especially when the Pistons were playing great and team effort and defense really mattered...but watching the watered-down crybaby league where the refs react to the fans and star players whining has made the NBA so boring and predictable it isn't worth watching anymore
DUDE! michael jordan is a god, he has never choked (/s). This is the issue with my generation, michael jordan is too idolized by people who have never seen him play. Michael Jordan is the best, but the gap between him and others (including lebron) is exaggerated by most.
it is, but here are some facts. Michael Jordan has never made it out of the first round without Pippen. An impressive 1-10 record without him, no one can win alone in the NBA...not even Jordan :O
I agree for th most part, great post. Something lebron doesn't have is that killer instinct and he needs to turn that on if the heat are to win tonight. The thing that makes lebron great to me is basketball IQ and how he lets the game flow to him. He is a physical spectacle and can guard almost anyone. People value not making it to the finals over losing in the finals? That doesn't make sense to me.
Magic > Russel, Chamberlain (in my opinon). Bird and Kareem are also in the conversation.
I used the :O face because that 1-10 record will come to a suprise to most people my age.
:3 i collect jordans, Vs are my favourite. We are close in age, I am 20. You can't have a debate with people...MJ is so hyped. It is refreshing to talk to someone who actually follows basketball, I dont get this luxury at school or with my buddies. OSU and friends are oxymorons haha.
Jordan didn't whine. Either you never actually watched him play, or you're crazy.
with Eastside Maize, MJ got the benefit of the whistle because all-around competition in the NBA was terrible in the 90's...other than a handful of teams, most teams were dull and had no flare, let alone any star power
It's ON NOW!!!!!!
I used a combo of 24 different categories/stats from every National Title winner and contender from the last 21 years to come up with a list of just 14 teams that meet all of the criteria and in my opinion legitimately fit the national championship mode.
Don't remember North Carolina, NorthWestern or Vandy competeting for a national championship ever, let alone the last 21 years
Strangely, for the most part, these wouldn't be bold picks by Phil using most predictive measures (Sagarin numbers are based on 2012-13), and I admit that I do not understand North Carolina based on these numbers either....
| TEAM | SAGARIN RATING | SAGARIN RANK | OVERALL RANKING - MASSEY |
| Alabama | 99.40 | 1 | 1 |
| Oregon | 93.31 | 2 | 2 |
| Texas A&M | 93.31 | 3 | 3 |
| Notre Dame | 91.08 | 5 | 9 |
| South Carolina | 90.10 | 6 | 6 |
| Florida | 89.94 | 7 | 7 |
| Stanford | 87.85 | 9 | 10 |
| LSU | 87.53 | 10 | 5 |
| Florida St | 87.50 | 11 | 13 |
| Ohio St | 85.37 | 13 | 17 |
| Michigan | 82.25 | 20 | 20 |
| Northwestern | 81.72 | 21 | 28 |
| Vanderbilt | 80.77 | 25 | 21 |
| North Carolina | 76.70 | 43 | 52 |
I don't understand NC either, did they look at the schedule?
At South Carolina the 1st game?
Michigan fits Steele's "National Championship Mold"
The coolest thing about this title is that I did not know if it was for Football or Basketball. It could have easily been for either one right now.
Well...except for the fact that Phil Steele doesn't cover basketball.
our last national championship is a little moldy... time for a fresh one.
If you'ver ever heard him on Bill King's shows Friday mornings, the guy is smart and proffessional. I get the impression this dude works tirelessly to know as much as he can about every Div. 1 school there is. I'm not sure there is a better informed college football junkie on the planet than this guy. I really like him, his brand, and the magazine helps to pass some time as well. I always buy his publication and it's fun to see how his predictions pan out after the season is over. Let's face it, there is no way to accurately predict the future, but he has some good ideas about key factors that make college football teams contenders.
...I'd rather have a Rose Bowl victory than a dozen of those poll based beauty contest titles that the SEC pansies love so much. In fact, I'd even take a Rose Bowl loss these days. It's been too long.
Nooooooo Rose Bowl losses. Those really really suck.
You can't be serious that you don't want to go to the NC game over the Rose Bowl. That's like saying that you'd rather go to the elite 8 than the final 4.