Washington Post thinks Michigan might make the playoffs. This year.

Submitted by The Mad Hatter on

The gist of the article is that our defense is awesome and MSU isn't that good.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2015/09/30/michigans-defense-fuels-early-success-but-can-it-carry-wolverines-to-a-surprising-playoff-berth/.

 

The Big Ten sets up well for Michigan this year, with three home games against Northwestern, Michigan State and Ohio State. And given how Ohio State has played on offense thus far, that game is also not projecting to be quite as lopsided as it did in the preseason.

 

EDIT:  MSU not that good?

ijohnb

September 30th, 2015 at 4:38 PM ^

I totally agree.  This is too much.  Michigan played a good game on Saturday, the defense looks good.  It does not have to be "we are totally going to kick State's ass and this defense is at least 2006 good if not 1997 good."   I was really impressed with the BYU game but the level of response is disproportionate to the acheivement.

In reply to by ijohnb

bluebyyou

September 30th, 2015 at 5:05 PM ^

I also agree.....

Our defense has put up good numbers, but still is lacking in certain areas including turnovers and sacks.  I see a top notch defensive backfield, but the linebackers are OK, a bit short on speed, and while I believe our D line is good, I still want to see how they do against better competiton,

And the O is still lacking in many areas.

Do we have the potential to be a good team?  Absoutely.  But going to the playoffs suggests we will beat MSU, OSU and probably Wisconsin and, while stranger things have happened,  I don't see that scenario as being realistic.

 

 

 

Muttley

September 30th, 2015 at 8:27 PM ^

what we thought in the pre-season.

Preseason, we wouldn't have expected to sweep

  • @Maryland (home game?)
  • @Minnesota (27-24 winners v Ohio U)
  • @Indiana   (nuff said)
  • @Penn State (led SDSU 27-21 in 4th)

Now I do.

Others have begun to say that the MSU game is winnable.  Further, MSU's Oregon win looks a lot more pedestrian after Utah destroyed Oregon in Autzen.  The home slate, in order of increasing difficulty

  • Rutgers -- W
  • NW (OK, tougher than preseason, M slight fav)
  • MSU  (M only a slight dog now)
  • OSU  (OK, M a significant dog)

Then there's the B1G championship game against an opponent fromt the West that will be weaker than MSU & OSU.

So that's one rabbit out of a hat (OSU), three tough wins, and five taking care of business.  Likely? No.  But it's no longer crazy talk.  Just a very possible long shot.

Yost Ghost

October 1st, 2015 at 9:34 AM ^

Can't believe I am even saying this but I too am growing weary of all the praise. We had a good win against a decent team with some key injuries. We had a couple of dominant wins against medicore teams and a quality loss against a good Utes team. I expect them to dominate the Terps, so a big win there isn't going to blow my skirt up. Lets see how they do against Northwestern and then MSU over the next 3 weeks. Then we'll have a better idea about what this team might do.

aratman

September 30th, 2015 at 6:45 PM ^

But that is the best I can remember Michigan playing.  It wasn't the blow out part that has me gitty it is the fact that they looked good everywhere.  Even in 97 I don't recall as complete a game is this, though some could argue Penn State game was close.  If we can improve every game I think we can play with anyone.  

M-Dog

September 30th, 2015 at 8:50 PM ^

Penn State was much more impressive.  They were #2, a talented Senior-laden team, at home, in mid-November fighting form. 

BYU was injured, tired, led by a freshman QB, playing 2 timezones away in the morning.

BYU is not nothing and we dominated them.  It was a quality win.  But let's not start name-dropping some of the greatest Michigan wins of all time as a comparison.

jmblue

September 30th, 2015 at 4:49 PM ^

If we win out, we'll be a 12-1 Big Ten champion on a 12-game winning streak with wins over OSU and MSU.  That would be a playoff résumé, no question.  I can't imagine we'd be snubbed if that happened.

Whether we can pull it off on the field is the question.

 

 

 

TIMMMAAY

September 30th, 2015 at 5:46 PM ^

If we win out, wouldn't that put us in by default? Winning the B1G in that way, with our only loss coming on the road in the opener with a new staff? There's no way they could keep us out. 

Not at all saying that will happen, but if it did, that would be pretty nice. 

uminks

October 1st, 2015 at 12:53 AM ^

We will be ranked around 18 in both polls. If we upset number 2 sparty, we will jump up to around number 10. If we win the remainder of our games before taking on OSU we will be around number 8. If we upset OSU at number 1 we will be in the top 5 probably number 3 or 4 by that time. If we win the B1G we could be 2 or 3. So, yes we would make the playoffs!

Nitro

September 30th, 2015 at 8:49 PM ^

If we win out, the only way we wouldn't make the playoffs is if the champions of at least two of the other four power conferences end up being undefeated, and I'd say we'd still probably make the playoffs if only two of those are undefeated.  If three are undefeated, it would depend on the other one loss team.  If all four are undefeated, it would be pretty doubtful.