Michigan tied for 5th in the coaches poll with Georgia, remains 4th in S&P+
1 Alabama 8-0
2 Clemson 8-0
3 Notre Dame 8-0
4 Louisiana State 7-1
5 Michigan 7-1
5 Georgia 7-1
7 Oklahoma 7-1
8 Ohio State 7-1
9 Central Florida 7-0
10 West Virginia 6-1
11 Washington State 7-1
12 Kentucky 7-1 932
13 Penn State 6-2
14 Florida 6-2
15 Texas 6-2
16 Utah 6-2
17 Houston 7-1
18 Iowa 6-2
19 Washington 6-3
20 Utah State 7-1
21 Mississippi State 5-3
22 Virginia 6-2
23 Fresno State 7-1
24 Syracuse 6-2
25 Boston College 6-2
October 28th, 2018 at 1:02 PM ^
Michigan State, Wisconsin and NW all among the top vote getters outside the top 25.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:03 PM ^
Fuck Georgia. That is all.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:10 PM ^
Agreed on fuck Georgia but that will work itself out. Still, cheer for them to lose to UK or Auburn to avoid any SEC chaos.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:46 PM ^
Absolutely agree. Go Kentucky! As we’ll see Tuesday, the committee is going to have 3 SEC teams in the top-5, Which means they already have that bias. Win and let the rest take care of itself.
October 28th, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
LSU plays Alabama and Georgia plays Kentucky.
An Alabama win eliminates LSU. The loser of the Georgia-Kentucky game is eliminated. The loser of the SEC championship game should be eliminated.
An Alabama loss vs. LSU, missing the SEC championship game and ending the season 11-1 is the worst case scenario for Michigan in my opinion.
October 28th, 2018 at 2:43 PM ^
This is 100% accurate. Best case scenario, Alabama beats Kentucky in the SEC title game and it isn't even close.
Also, Michigan winning out, obviously. Still work left to do.
October 28th, 2018 at 3:44 PM ^
Georgia winning out-with a win over Alabama for the SEC championship is the worst scenario for Michigan...or any other hopefuls other than undefeated Clemson and ND. Alabama and Georgia would likely both get in.
October 29th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
Georgia vs LSU is the worst case scenario.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:09 PM ^
That's actually a very reasonable top 15 IMO.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:14 PM ^
Please defend Ohio State being #8 or even in the top ten for that matter.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:16 PM ^
I think they would be favored against the teams ranked below them on a neutral field.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:25 PM ^
With the possible exception of UCF, who else could you put there? West Virginia lost to Iowa State, Washington State lost to a horrific USC team, I guess I could see putting Kentucky there...but, ugh, Kentucky BB is bad enough
October 28th, 2018 at 1:27 PM ^
Kentucky is nothing exciting. Yeah, they beat Florida. Who cares. Florida kinda sucks.
Kentucky would get rekt by most of the top ten
October 28th, 2018 at 1:25 PM ^
Tell me why you think the teams below them are better than them. I'd take OSU against most everyone below them
October 28th, 2018 at 1:42 PM ^
WSU would destroy them. OSU's secondary and LB's are not good enough to stop WSU. WSU's D is easily equal to OSU's.
I think Utah would beat them up and win.
Despite yesterday, Washington and Oregon have teams good enough offensively to be repeats of Purdue.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^
OSU is an exceptionally talented group of players that aggregate to an above average team. The whole is less than the sum of its parts. Teams like USC and Florida State, would be even more extreme examples of that this year. We were essentially this throughout the Hoke regime.
Their talent level, pedigree, and success over the past 15 years gives OSU the benefit of the doubt in all the polls
Those who actually watch the games, can see the glaring holes and lack of unity and fluidity required to be an elite team.
October 28th, 2018 at 2:10 PM ^
That's fine. But there aren't any elite teams ranked below them either.
October 28th, 2018 at 2:17 PM ^
The whole phenomenon of teams with high end recruiting ending up being worse than the sum of their parts is...all to familiar to every Michigan fan during the Hoke years (and arguably some of the late Carr years).
Maybe that is OSU this year. Meyer's last Florida team was like that, right? They had racked up several monster recruiting classes, but then under performed.
October 28th, 2018 at 3:11 PM ^
Correct. I used to always joke that nobody did less with more than Lloyd. Moeller would have won multiple national titles at UM.
Mack Brown was also always in contention for the annual under achiever award. Both he and Lloyd did at least manage to win 1 national title, but wow... a lot of wasted talent under both those tenures.
Then came Brady Hoke, and he said, hold my beer guys. Not only will I be a shitty game day coach, but I will also under-develop the 4 and 5 star recruits I bring in to my program. At that point, we all began to rewrite the Carr era as really, not that bad.
Harbaugh is, and always has been, a team builder. He'll win with his, he'll win with yours - so long as he has a functional QB and O-line. Really excited to see what happens as he gets elite talent at all positions - including QB play, while Don Brown keeps pushing out killer defenses.
October 29th, 2018 at 10:56 AM ^
Speaking of Don Brown. Anyone have a spare Lazarus pit?
October 28th, 2018 at 1:12 PM ^
Go Kentucky this weekend. We need Georgia out of this race
October 28th, 2018 at 1:23 PM ^
The SEC won't get 2 teams in. OSU, a 2 loss B1G champ with a 30 point loss to mediocre Iowa, almost got in over a 1 loss non champ in Bama. A 1 loss B1G champ is getting in over any non champ. At best one Georgia/Kentucky will have 1 loss going into the SEC title game and then they either lose and are out or beat the West rep and are in over Bama.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:27 PM ^
Unless 1 loss GA beats no loss Alabama in the SEC championship. Then I can guarantee it will happen. No way bama drops out and no way 1 loss GA doesn't jump in. To be safe, someone needs to fuck GA's shit up..
October 28th, 2018 at 1:48 PM ^
There's no reason to think that'll happen except for Chicken Little syndrome or wanting to scream and yell "SEC BIAS PAWWWWWL." A 1 loss Bama, who had a better or at worst equal resume last year when compared to the potential resume this year, was only 1 spot ahead of a 2 loss OSU B1G champ who had a 30 point loss to Iowa. If we win out at 12-1, I'd put money on us being in over a 2nd SEC team.
October 29th, 2018 at 3:41 AM ^
1 loss bama isn’t getting in over 1 loss Michigan or Oklahoma. They’d get in if we have 2 losses
October 28th, 2018 at 4:51 PM ^
Also would like ND out too.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:18 PM ^
Michigan plays 13th ranked PSU at home next weekend.
Georgia plays 12th ranked Kentucky on the road.
Interesting to see how the polls shakes out based on the outcome of those games. I wouldn't be shocked if we win convincingly and Georgia wins a close game, they still jump us. Because SEC...
October 28th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
I don't see Kentucky being very competitive with Georgia.
October 28th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
I don't think Kentucky would be very competitive with PSU either.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
Oddly, there appear to be two more voters this week. (?)
There are 1600 points possible this week (64 voters). A unanimous first-place team would get 100% of those points; a unanimous second-place team would get 96% of them; etc. At 1295 points, Michigan and Georgia each got 80.9% of the possible points, which equates to just better than 6th. (In other words — there were more outliers pulling those teams down than pushing them up).
For comparison’s sake, last week Michigan had 1228 of a possible 1550 points (62 voters), or 79.2%. So, despite “falling” into a tie, Michigan actually improved its standing slightly this week.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
Kentucky is stupidly overrated. Didn’t score an offensive point until the last untimed down of the game resulting from a weak PI call.. Against Missouri. If Michigan had a performance like that, I would expect a huge drop but the SEC team moves up in the polls.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^
and fuck Missouri for screwing that game up. Jeebus
October 28th, 2018 at 1:34 PM ^
and the refs for calling seriously weak PI on that final play
October 28th, 2018 at 4:51 PM ^
And then not calling the obvious push off / OPI on the following TD
October 28th, 2018 at 1:35 PM ^
Kentucky is that classic P5 team that nobody actually thinks is good, but they have a good win or two and they haven't managed to lose against crappier teams (despite looking horrible doing so)
They'll be ranked this high till an actual top 10 team beats them like 42-17. Then they'll still finish 10-3 with a nice bowl win and they'll finish the season around #10 and no one will actually know if they're actually good or not.
October 28th, 2018 at 2:20 PM ^
Lol sounds like Brady Hoke’s first team
October 28th, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
LSU plays Alabama this coming saturday so we'll see how that plays out. should drop LSU out of CFP. LSU also has Texas A&M as their last game so 2 ranked opponents left.
the rest of Clemson's schedule looks pretty winnable for them.
notre dame's only potential trap game is at Northwestern next week and maybe USC as the last game of the year and a big rivalry game.
Alabama also has Auburn and Miss St with a cupcake game against Citadel who has a 0.1% chance of winning apparently.
Georgia has UK next week and then Auburn but UMass and GT are pretty much locks for them.
really Michigan has the most difficult schedule remaining for the top 5/6 teams.
EDIT:
AP is up.
http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll/2018/10
October 28th, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^
LSU has already lost a game. They lose to Alabama, they are out. Now if they somehow beat Alabama, then chaos reigns
October 28th, 2018 at 2:05 PM ^
Potential chaos if #1 Alabama gets edged out by #4/5 Georgia in the SEC CG....by the tune of 28-27, OT, last second score, etc...
Alabama won’t fall far, and UGA will be in.
The SEC has a long history of exchanging positions in the rankings when two top 5-10 teams face each other. The bias is real...real shitty.
October 28th, 2018 at 2:18 PM ^
Which I would actually prefer. If there’s a way to take Alabama out of the playoff, I would love to see it. Could you Imagine:
1 Georgia v 4 Michigan
and
2 Clemson v 3 Notre Dame
Call me crazy, but that would be the most entertaining playoff in terms of ratings.
October 28th, 2018 at 2:19 PM ^
Alabama playing The Citadel late in the season (or ever) should be a class I felony.
I mean, they get a bye/scrimmage in November. Their entire OOC slate is preposterous.
October 29th, 2018 at 1:13 PM ^
How about a style points penalty. If they don't win by 100, they're out of the top10!
October 28th, 2018 at 1:24 PM ^
Generous ranking for UDub at 19.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:49 PM ^
My buddy is a huge fan. He's apoplectic about their offense. It really reminds me of a whole lot of recent years of Michigan football where the defense is great and the offense can't get it in gear. Their starting running back is out, but the issue looks like O-line and Browning (QB), who looks like he's either nursing an arm injury or has the yips.
October 28th, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^
We control our destiny...win out and we are in
October 28th, 2018 at 1:36 PM ^
SEC slappies one and all
October 28th, 2018 at 1:46 PM ^
Watch how far Alabama falls, if they manage to lose one....(no lower than 4).
October 28th, 2018 at 1:51 PM ^
That would depend on the loss. If they lose a close game to LSU or Georgia I can see that.
Bottom line is that LSU, Georgia, and Bama cannot all win out. If M does, I think we're into the playoff.
October 28th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^
And I think that’s the only way Alabama would lose; in a very close game, to either LSU or UGA (prior to the CFP).
October 28th, 2018 at 2:21 PM ^
One Hypothetical: Alabama loses to LSU. LSU loses to A&M, putting Alabama back in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama loses to Georgia. Alabama falls to 5 and the best team sits at home during the playoffs.