Preseason Coaches Poll is out: UM #2
The 1st USA Today Coaches Poll just came out. UM is ranked #2.
Top 5: 1) Georgia, 2) UM, 3) Bama, 4) OSU, 5) LSU
Penn State is #7, Wisconsin #21. Iowa almost cracked the Top 25.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
When was the last time Michigan had a #2 ranking in the preseason?
August 7th, 2023 at 12:22 PM ^
In 1991 they were AP Preseason #2.
In 1998 and 1994 they were ranked #5 AP Preseason, #3 in 1993
August 7th, 2023 at 12:26 PM ^
It the highest ever in the coaches' poll, I guess.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
Phil Fulmer is probably still ranking M like #23
Charles Woodson justly won the Heisman Trophy.
Fight me!
Fat Fulmer can still kiss my grits.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:38 PM ^
#RatPoison
August 7th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
It’s looking like the two key conferences haven’t changed…
Go Blue!
August 7th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
If you ain’t first, you’re last.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:29 PM ^
Hell, Ricky, I was HIGH when I said that!
August 7th, 2023 at 12:50 PM ^
I mean that doesn't make any sense at all! You could be second, you could be third, fourth...hell you could even be fifth.
The plaque for the alternates is down in the ladies' room.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
There should be no official polls until week 8 or later.
I hate that future rankings are all pegged to where you arbitrarily started the season.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
It seems like every year there is a preseason top 10 team that finishes the year unranked and an unranked team that surprises and make a playoff push (UM in 2021, TCU in 2022)
August 7th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
It’s absolute BS, and it’s a huge advantage to those ranked high to start the season. I hate preseason rankings
August 7th, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
....unless it is Michigan.
/FIFY
I don't think it really is much of an advantage in the end. You still have to play the games.
It's the second half of your first sentence that people overlook.
It's not arbitrary. Teams have returning players, established incoming players, and coaching staffs with track records, among several other relatively reliable data points to make informed judgements off of.
Does that mean it's an exact science and the polls should always be correct? No. That's why they play the damn games.
Exactly. Besides, the only poll that actually matters isn't released until about week 8 anyway. The CFP Rankings.
And then there's always one fan base bragging about their top 10 win back in September against a team that's now 4-7 or something and arguing that they were top 10 at that point of the season so its a ranked win and the CFP should consider it as such.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
Texas A&M #25
hahahahaha
August 7th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
Some SEC team will get a 'good win' over a 'ranked' A&M team...
Then *that* team will get ranked due to their good win. Etc etc etc...
August 7th, 2023 at 12:26 PM ^
Texas A&M #25
hahahahaha
August 7th, 2023 at 12:27 PM ^
Texas A&M #25
hahahahaha
August 7th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
You can say that thrice!
August 7th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
The dreaded bad cell signal triple post!
August 7th, 2023 at 12:27 PM ^
First place votes:
Georgia 61, Michigan 0, Alabama 4, OSU 1, everyone else 0
Is Phil Fulmer coaching somewhere again?
August 7th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
Put the OSU vote to GA and I'm actually OK with that.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
Criminally underrated
August 7th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
Nothing surprising about that top 5.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:38 PM ^
Pointless till week 8. Just for television.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
Yep, have to sale those early season match-ups somehow. Putting a number in front of a name does not hurt.
Everything in college football is just for television now, including everything before week 8 and after.
Yea I do think that’s ok though. It helps to understand expectations for early season games. It’s only a problem because people base later rankings on them
August 7th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
Already looking forward to the first idiot that wants a coach fired after we don't score on the first play of the season or happen to give up a touchdown to ECU.
Like when wilton tossed a pick his first pass in 2016?
thats cus harbs physically beat him up immediately prior. luckily he wont be there to do that this year. more importantly... does harbz get the credit for the 4 games he misses on his overall record?
you wanna fire someone? it's a crime that we're not number 1. once again, our leadership fails to back up our teams.
#firewarde
August 7th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
Penn State could be really good or not ready for primetime. If they mature fast on offense they could be a really good team.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
IMO they're going to be more like a top-15 or 20 team rather than a top-10 team. I don't buy their OL (outside of Olu), and I don't think Allar is sufficiently experienced.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:59 PM ^
As long as Field Goal Franklin is running the show, mistakes will be made.
August 8th, 2023 at 11:12 AM ^
They usually are a good team. They just cant beat Michigan or osu when they're good.
August 7th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
I feel like the first-place votes for Bama and OSU are, uh, misplaced at best. To be fair, Michigan shouldn't have gotten first-place votes either. UGA gets benefit of the doubt until someone beats them.
Others that feel like a reach to me:
- Wisconsin. They didn't even make a bowl game last year. [EDIT: OK so they won the "Guaranteed Rate Bowl," but my point that they have been disappointing for 2 years stands] I respect Fickell as a coach, but top-25 feels like a tall order for how bad Wisconsin has been the last couple years.
- FSU. Calling it now, Norvell's team comes back down to earth in 2023.
- TAMU. LOL.
- Oklahoma. I'm guessing that Venables isn't going to be as good a HC as people thought.
- Texas. The question is asked perennially: "is Texas back?" And the perennial answer is "Nope."
- Wisconsin. They didn't even make a bowl game last year. I respect Fickell as a coach, but top-25 feels like a tall order for how bad Wisconsin has been the last couple years.
Not to mention the massive systematic overhaul on the offensive side. Even on defense, Fickell was a 4-3 quarters guy I believe, which is still a transition from the 3-4 cov 1/cov 2 they've ran forever.
Maybe by end of year they'll be top 25, but I'd be surprised if they're at that level to start off. Definitely interested to see how Wiscy and Nebraska look as the season progresses.
I think both Fickell and Rhule are going to be high-ceiling/low-floor hires. Rhule because his record is actually spotty. Fickell because he may be about to try an aggressive culture change in a place that really values its football identity. The B1G West won't be boring. It won't be terribly good football, but it should be entertaining.
Agree that Wisconsin is getting way too much hype, but they did actually play in the Guaranteed Rate bowl last year after finishing the season 6-6. They beat a pretty good Oklahoma State team 24-17, but this year's Wisconsin is going to look very different.
Thanks, I went back and edited. I was relying on my memory alone. Still, they are building a major system change on a shaky foundation. I predict a rough start for Fickell, but I would bet on them in the long term if he sticks around.
This is Wisconsin's schedule - 8+ wins is very doable and that gets you into the bottom end of top 25. Aside OSU their crossovers are mighty Rutgers and Indiana. They get Iowa and Nebraska at home. @WSU will be a tricky one for a new staff.
UPCOMING GAMES
STATUS
LOCATION
9/2
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
9/9
Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA
9/16
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
9/22
Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
10/7
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
10/14
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
10/21
Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL), Champaign, IL
10/28
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
11/4
Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN), Bloomington, IN
11/11
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
11/18
Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
11/25
Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
If you just go by who they did and didn't beat last year there are already five losses in that schedule, three of which will be on the road this year (WSU, Illinois, Minnesota. Iowa and OSU come to Madison). You have to assume they somehow got better to rank them this year, and I just don't see it.