USA Today ranks Michigan preseason #4
At times like these, it’s easy to nitpick through the negatives — and yeah, Michigan has a few. But every program, good and bad, loses players every offseason; every major program has to deal with early departures to the NFL. So instead of focusing on where Michigan may be lacking, consider a few things.
One, how Jim Harbaugh and his staff have been through this before. Two, that there are still more than enough pieces on both sides for this team to be highly successful. And three, how this program is very clearly rocketing into the upper echelon of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Maybe having faith in Harbaugh and his plan makes more sense than simply focusing on issues the Wolverines’ must address before kickoff in September.
FSU, Bama, OSU, and Washington round out the top 5.
I'm a homer and even I think that's too high. Somewhere in the 9-14 range seems appropriate.
Teams 9-14 are Clemson, Oklahoma State, LSU, Wisconsin, Va Tech, and Auburn.
Are any of those teams on paper better than Michigan? I don't think so.
No, they are not better, but they are comparable to Michigan, which supports the argument that 9-14 would be more accurate.
Only team I would say that is comparable to Michigan is Clemson.
Virginia Tech is on the upswing, but otherwise yes- I don't see much reason to think Wisconsin is better than us, or that Da Coach O will do anything other than be Cajun Hoke. Auburn is due for an inexplicable 13-1 SEC championship here before going 4-8 again the next year so that might happen
I would absolutely agree with you on LSU, but Orgeron actually hired a pretty good O-coordinater in Matt Canada, which may help turn LSU into a great defensive team that can actually score points as well.
The amount of times I read Orgeron as Oregon is entirely predictable and incredibly frustrating.
until I died of disteria.
On the defensive side of the ball as they are loaded also, but are offense will be more explosive.
Clemson isn't a comparable program. It's obviously a stronger one.
Michigan has gone 10-3 and has played a school from the state of Florida in a bowl game the last two seasons. THAT is consistancy, my friend.
Should've lost at home to NC State as well. L'ville should've beaten them last year. The refs bailed them out against FSU. They were good last year, but extremely lucky. We were extremely unlucky to lose the two games we lost during the regular season.
Clemson, especially without Deshaun Watson is a very comparable program.
Clemson - you have already mentioned
Wisconsin
- Took both Michigan and Ohio State down to the wire last season, and finished with an 11-3 record and #9 final ranking.
- For the upcoming season, they return 15 starters (8 on offense, 7 on defense), and I would consider them pretty comparable to Michigan.
Oklahoma State
- Also had a decent season last year with a 10-3 record, 2nd place finish in a Big 12, and a 38-8 walloping of Colorado in the Alamo Bowl to finish at #11 in the AP.
- They return all their key players including 3-year starting QB Mason Rudolph
LSU
- Fertile recruiting grounds and years of stockpiled talent
- Yes, Ed Orgeron more of a CEO/motivating type coach similar to Brady Hoke, but there's also one key difference. Orgeron sacrificed his own salary to hire the most expensive asst. coaching staff in the country including DC Dave Aranda ($1.85 million/year) and OC Matt Canada ($1.5 million/year). Orgeron knows his main strength is as a recruiter, and is banking on riding the coattails of his assistants to success.
VaTech and Auburn I can both see as being a tier under Michigan.
And out of those teams the only one who has recruited anywhere close to Michigan is LSU, and they have a major QB and HC problem. Regardless, I don't see the merits in arguing semantics.
I guess I consider experience/upperclassmen as more of an equalizing factor to raw talent/recruiting.
Especially in the case of Wisconsin, they've never really recruited well, but the rate that they can redshirt, develop and churn out NFL-quality players despite that is pretty impressive. I don't think that strategy will ever make them a NC contender, but it certainly does enough to make the B1G Championship contenders/Top-10 quality.
Michigan has caught way more shitty breaks over the last two seasons than good breaks. I'm hoping this is the year that we end up with a record better than comparably skilled teams.
In 2015 we had 2 lucky wins and 1 unlucky loss. We remember the loss because it was so ridiculous and because it was to Sparty.
Last year, yeah, we were unlucky.
run of shitty breaks only goes back 2 seasons, you must be pretty young.
The Phantom Fumble haunts my recollections of youth. I cried for days as a 7 year old when we got screwed out of the Rose Bowl on an AD vote. I got drunk for days when an OSU QB didnt make the first down but was awarded it anyway. Theres more. So much more. But Ill leave the books to John U.
Eh fuck it, I'm a homer and I think #4 is just fine.
I remember buying Street & Smith preview magazine for the 1997 season. They ranked Michigan #4 IIRC. I thought that was nuts at the time. Next thing I know, Michigan won the Rose Bowl in an undefeated season.
I still have that magazine.
But it's preseason.
It's all we got.
Wow... about 5-6 spots too high, I'd say and would feel comfortable with after all the attrition.
It's really impossible to say at this point. Preseason rankings are especially pointless for a team with as much turnover as we have. I can say we have one of the best coaching staffs in college football and we have hauled in 2 consecutive top 6 recruiting classes, so I think there is the potential there to beat any team we play, including Ohio State. I don't think any team will outclass us this season. Full stop.
And after the Rich Rod and Hoke years, it feels really, really good to be able to say that again.
#4 seems pretty low for a team that is about to go 15-0 with Heisman winner Chris Evans leading the way. Woah, ok no need for anymore beer for me.
Beer? Sounds more like you've got a bit of heroin, ecstasy, cocaine and methadone in there...
What, too soon?
r/jesuschristmgoblog
...and win the Heisman himself.
I wanna party with you
I like where your head is at. Also Big I need weight room details.
I'm fine with us being ranked outside of the top-10. We'll grow into a great team.
I see us starting the season 6-0. The match-up against PSU in Happy Valley on October 21st will be the pivotal game. Hopefully, it'll be akin to the 97 game in Beaver Stadium.
I know a lot of fans mock PSU but last year's Nittany Lions improved substantially by the end of the season. And 2017 PSU will have a BYE week before facing us...
It'll be a primetime game if both teams are ranked 6-0 entering that game.
In 1997, #4 Michigan (8-0) crushed #2 Penn State (7-0). It was glorious and set the stage for a potential National Championship run. I'm hoping for a repeat of that 20 years later...
Enough to make you want to vomit.
PSU coaching sucks balls. They werent that good last year. They are overrated this year. Fuck PSU and their Joepa loving fans. Think I heard that sentiment here.
Enough to make you want to vomit.
PSU coaching sucks balls. They werent that good last year. They are overrated this year. Fuck PSU and their Joepa loving fans. Think I heard that sentiment here.