April 29th, 2013 at 12:59 PM ^
Ohio is not the #1 team in the country. Mark Schlabach is really buying into the hype machine.
Have to beat the hairless nuts this year!
I'm not saying the Buckeyes are a better football team than the Crimson Tide; I'm saying Ohio State has an easier path to an undefeated record this coming season.
Schlabach made his reasoning clear in the introduction and I don't disagree with him. OSU's schedule is Charmin soft for 2013. I could probably lead OSU to a 10-2 record with their schedule next season.
So here's the question:
What's the difference between projecting them undefeated and ranking them #1 for being undefeated after all is said and done? I'm sure many thought that OSU and ND were both pretty weak teams last year, but they still ended the season in the top three due to their record (prior to the NCG).
Both are inherently wrong, as they reward record over ability, but they are in essence doing the same thing. If Bama goes undefeated, does anyone question that they will be #1 at the end of the year?
Just because you disagree with it doesn't necessarily make it "bad", either.
I know a lot of people get into insanely heated debates about the reasoning behind Top 25 polls but I happen to fall on the side of those who feel you should vote on who you think will have the best seasons not who you feel are the best teams.
Trying to determine who the best teams are is a futile exercise as teams only play 12-14 games against a wide range of opponents of vastly different qualty so it ends up just being an opinion poll. Whereas, voting on who will have the best season (e.g. your #1 team will win the MNC) can at least sort of be proven by the results on the field. Ergo, I have no problem with his reasoning.
"I happen to fall on the side of those who feel you should vote on who you think will have the best seasons not who you feel are the best teams"
This logic is exactly what is wrong with the college football ranking systems. I really hope the rankings matter very little when it comes to the new 4 team playoff.
I have always hated this mode of thinking, and the big problem is that a lot of the voters that are deciding where the teams are ranked feel the exact same way. This is a reason why teams play such soft schedules. A 12-0 team is always* viewed as better than an 11-1 team.
*Well, not if the 12-0 team is from the MAC or Sun Belt or something, but anyone from a major conference and a lot of teams from mid-level conferences as well (ie Boise, etc.)
It makes sense that he would do the rankings that way. In Dec / Jan he is limiting his exposure for having his preseason rankings raked over the coals.
If he thinks Alabama is one of the two best teams in the country, and that they're better than OSU, why doesn't he just rank them #1 and OSU #2?
Until somebody beats Ohio, they have as much right to be called #1 as anyone else. I hope the "unbeatable juggernaut" waltzes into the Big House undefeated this November. The Ohio hype reminds me a lot of 1969; everybody just assumed that nobody could stop the mighty Buckeyes.
We all know how that turned out.
I completely disagree. Why does OSU have as much right to be called #1 as the defending national champions who actually beat really good teams last year, and by a lot. What was OSU's best win? Edging us out at home? Alabama laughs at that, for sure.
I'd love for them to be #1 when we play them too, but they do not deserve to be #1 right now.
alabama would beat OSU by 3 touchdowns.
For the whole 42-14 thing. I don't want to finish second to Ohio in anything.
I thought elite defenses won championships - so what is OSU doing on that list?
But they have Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington! That's like, what, 30 tackles and 2 or 3 sacks between the two of them returning from last year!
But seriously, they do have some great talent on the defensive side. But a lot of it's still young. If it blooms into the projections based on recruiting rankings, they'll have an elite D. I think. The one thing I can say about OSU's D even from last year, which also had really good talent (probably better than UM's raw talent) is that they play undisciplined. That could sink the D no matter how talented they are.
There needs to be more OUTRAGE when these columnists use reasoning for these rankings that includes "Team X has this easy/difficult of a schedule." What does that have to do with how good a team they are!
I don't know of anyone who has ever been able to tell me what a poll really is. Is it:
1. A ranking of the best teams, in your opinion, where #1 should usually beat #2, #2 should usually beat #3, etc. if they were to play tomorrow.
2. A ranking of what teams have accomplished to date (schedule comes into play)
3.. A prediction of what the final standings/polls will be (schedule comes into play)
I think we all want it to be #1, but the long-standing model where we count losses, and if you lose you drop (even if you lose to a team ranked higher than you) blows that up. So, #2 and #3 are factors and schedule matters. QED.
But really, who cares in April and it just gives us something to blabber about.
Could've played in the spring game, granted this is assuming injury has no complications, but still:
I disagree with you. The OL should be solid with our returning starters as well as the myriad of stud underclassmen we have. Our clear number 1 running back will be decided in the fall, and it'll likely be a freshman, but that is the easiest position to acclimate to as a freshman. We'll be good there too. Jake Ryan hurts, but our LB core is solid, and our defense should be very good so long as the DL steps it up.
I found it interesting Schlabach didn't even mention Jake Ryan's injury. ESPN crack reporting.
I actually like OSU being #1 and I hope they are still #1 and undefeated when we beat them at the end of the season.
Well, they won't be number one when we beat them the second time in the BTCG.
That part will be a little disappointing. But only a little.
I agree and cannot stand Ohio being in the positive spotlight. I hate them and wish nothing but bad things for their program and fans.
Hype them up please. Just will make it that much better when we beat them. Can't wait to hear how great Ohio looks after beating up on their non conference portion of the schedule.
It will be about Urban's first "ligit" year and Miller for Heisman all season.
Pretty sure that Louis Nix book ended by Stephon Tuitt and Sheldon Day will be just fine. The secondary is also greatly improved with actual returning Corner Backs and not converted RB/WRs.
I wouldn't expect the defense to drop off much. After all Teo was a fraud, right?
Also as an aside its good to see the old guard taking their spots back near the top of the polls.
does have a easy schedule until Nov 30. They will probably be undeafeated till that point.
We are going to beat their ass!
I'd rather be #9 than #1... no where to go but down.
Thanks mr buzz-kill, I'm so looking forward to the season now.
Not a chance. With OSU's schedule, if they lose one game, they're out of the NC discussion.
To be replaced by who? You never know what teams are gonna lose.
Think of how different we might look at Alabama if Okie State hadn't lost to Iowa State, or if KSU didn't lose to Baylor (and you can include Oregon losing to Stanford too)
Besides Michigan, the Buckeyes will likely face no more than a couple of fringe Top 25 teams throughout their season.
| 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes Schedule | |||
| DATE | OPPONENT | ||
| Sat, Aug 31 |
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| Sat, Sept 7 |
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| Sat, Sept 14 | |||
| Sat, Sept 21 |
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| Sat, Sept 28 |
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| Sat, Oct 5 | |||
| Sat, Oct 19 |
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| Sat, Oct 26 |
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| Sat, Nov 2 |
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| Sat, Nov 16 |
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| Sat, Nov 23 |
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| Sat, Nov 30 |
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Cal was 3-9 last year. San Diego State is a solid team, but probably the best non-conference game they've got. If that's the marquee game, it sounds like a pretty easy road into Big 10 play.
Also, being ranked this high and losing to Michigan during the last game if the season, but beating us in the B1G championship game means they still go to the NC game.
I strongly doubt this happens. Even if we split with Michigan, assuming both teams make it there, OSU would be headed to the Rose Bowl. In fact, I don't really understand how most [OSU] fans can even think the national title is a possiblity this year even if OSU ran the table. Their success and chances of a national title has more to do with the success of the conference teams versus their own. If teams start to lose several OOC games, thus weakening their SOS, it probably won't happen for OSU.
I'm a realist and even I think being #1 is a huge reach for a team that had several close games last year and several question marks going into this season. Moreover, who ranks teams because of their schedule or what they did last year? Look at what happened to USC after they got off sanctions. Great year despite sanctions, gets ranked #1, then finished the year 6-7 when everything is on the line. Any thing can happen to teams and being ranked #1 is almost a curse. I'm not exactly buying into the hype and would much rather fly under the radar than be a target.
Finally, lets be honest here, when OSU plays Michigan for the second time in Indy, which I believe will happen, it will be to determine who is playing for a berth in 100th Rose Bowl and Big Ten Championship. That's about as good as it will get for both teams this year.
Read WAY too quickly. Thought this was a basketball poll and thought "what the hell is Alabama doing here!"
PS I LOVE that seeing U-M in the top 10 in Fball AND Bball is real