What Lies Ahead / Everything Still to Play For
Thoughts on Michigan State at Perdue? Any chance for upset there?
I don't see Maryland playing the spoiler for either team. That leaves common opponents Ohio state and Penn state.
Does Sparty have a chance in Columbus? Or is this the pinnacle for both schools and we're looking at the inevitable Ohio state coronation?
I'm disgusted and downtrodden today but I truly would like to see someone in the big ten championship beyond Ohio state and Wisconsin, even if it is Sparty. That's the most overplayed match up in this conference and I'm sick of it.
Go blue beat Indiana.
October 30th, 2021 at 6:58 PM ^
Need OSU and one of Purdue/Penn State to beat Sparty and then need to win out. Which means fixing a variety of defensive/red zone issues in the next month enough to beat a much better team than MSU.
October 30th, 2021 at 9:26 PM ^
We could possibly be in the best shape for a 3-way 8-1 tie between us, MSU and OSU too because we played Wisconsin. I believe the West opponents you play factor into the tiebreaker at some point, and the Badgers are probably winning the West again after today.
EDIT: Nvm....OSU would probably be in the best shape, though we'd be in a better position than MSU for sure (2/3 of our opponents are the same as the Spartans, so we'd be ahead of them as long as Wisconsin finishes with a better Big Ten record than Purdue, which seems very likely as Purdue still has to play MSU & OSU, whereas Wisconsin has a cakewalk to the finish besides Minnesota).
It's the combined record of the West opponents you faced in that scenario. All 3 of us play Nebraska so that evens out. Then it would be Wisconsin & Northwestern for us, Purdue & Northwestern for MSU, and Minnesota & Purdue for OSU. Wisconsin probably will have the best record of those 3 teams, but probably only by about a game, and Northwestern probably would sink us (be at least 2 games behind Purdue theoretically, etc.). So, we'd need to root for Wisconsin and Northwestern, and against Minnesota & Purdue in their November games (besides when Purdue plays Sparty obviously).
October 30th, 2021 at 11:20 PM ^
Ugh, here we go again. What other teams need to beat the team that just beat us to give us a chance to get to the B1G championship game.
Tired of the mental gymnastics. We should've won this fucking game today. Correction, we should've crushed that MSU team today. And here we are, again, figuring out how we get to the promised land after fucking shooting ourselves in the foot.
But BUT, I do remain optimistic. I like this Michigan team and I think we can make a lot more noise this season. Need to clean up the defense.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:01 PM ^
MSU will lose another game besides OSU.
I think we will be 10-1 when we play OSU. 10-2 and a NY6 bowl. A win in that game and we feel good about the year despite the two losses to rivals.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:06 PM ^
I will be, many will still bitch. I expected 4 losses. Even though today was disappointing, they should finish better than I expected.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:59 PM ^
Today was disappointing because we have better talent yet again and lost. We can't even finish 2nd in our division. Once again it's coaching
October 30th, 2021 at 8:52 PM ^
I think this is the exact right point. This wasn't two evenly matched teams trading body blows. This was a better team costing themselves a victory (which just happened to be against their only in-state rival) because of miscues and bad decisions.
October 30th, 2021 at 8:01 PM ^
As someone said in another thread, if Harbaugh is never going to win a Big Ten CC, then he has to do well against the main rivals. Zero wins against OSU. 3-4 against MSU.
Totally rational to maintain that zero Big Ten CC, zero wins against OSU, and losing record against MSU misses the mark.
As for the '...but people thought Michigan would top out at 8-4...' argument, since when does a head coach get the excuse of screwing up so badly last year that pre-season expectations are low so losses to OSU and MSU are excusable?
October 30th, 2021 at 7:18 PM ^
Who's "we"? I'm sick of that crap.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:35 PM ^
Two losses against the only two teams that matter, AGAIN. Awesome.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:58 PM ^
Blah. Blah. Blah. E-ffffing blah. We lost to a MSU team that was picked to finish dead last. A MSU team that had a pass defense almost dead last in NCAA.
Harbaugh and UM chocked - again. They suck donkey ass.
October 30th, 2021 at 8:44 PM ^
”Everything still to play for”…
Nobody who is being honest with themselves believes this.
October 30th, 2021 at 10:13 PM ^
I thought everything included beating our rivals?
Oh, not the super impressive juggernaught rival? . . ok.
How about just the in-state lower-ranked rival, is that included in "everything"?
I think the OP's post is a day late.
October 31st, 2021 at 7:41 AM ^
As a Michigan fan, I could never feel “good” about any season where we lose to both MSU and OSU. Just not in the DNA of my fandom.
October 31st, 2021 at 9:30 AM ^
Disagree. I'd feel great about a season where Michigan represents the big ten in the playoff and wins the conference championship. Even with a sole close loss to a rival.
Do you think Penn state fans didn't "feel good" when they got trounced by Michigan yet fluked their way into the big ten championship in 2016??
October 31st, 2021 at 9:51 PM ^
Any real Michigan fan would agree with you. It's amazing how fans are just happy being mediocre nowadays.
October 31st, 2021 at 9:51 PM ^
Any real Michigan fan would agree with you. It's amazing how fans are just happy being mediocre nowadays.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:01 PM ^
I don't think anyone is beating OSU. We can hope that PSU will beat MSU, because Michigan will ground PSU to dust. But with the tie-break in MSUs corner, it just sucks.
October 30th, 2021 at 9:39 PM ^
Whoa, you’re that confident about UM against PSU? Gimme what your smoking. Props to believing, my dude!
October 30th, 2021 at 7:03 PM ^
Is this a joke? Ohio State is going to murder both MSU and Michigan. Stroud could legitimately throw for 600 yards against both defenses.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:08 PM ^
Ha. Hey any given Saturday. Stay in the fight!
October 30th, 2021 at 7:35 PM ^
and maybe that testosterone ad girl on the right side of my screen with the big rack and dead eyes will materialize in my living room.
I'm not holding my breath.
October 30th, 2021 at 9:39 PM ^
I like that even in your fantasy, she only appears in your vicinity.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:09 PM ^
Sigh...........
October 30th, 2021 at 8:00 PM ^
The pass defense was NOT the issue in todays loss despite everyone fearing it would be. MSUs pass defense on the their hand is in for a long day against Stroud and those receivers.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:10 PM ^
Depends...are the refs gifting 14 points to MSU against PSU?
Doesn't matter in the end...OSU is the best team by a wide margin in the B1G.
UM is the 2nd best on paper, which means nothing as we know.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:37 PM ^
They are not the 2nd best team on or off paper.
October 30th, 2021 at 8:04 PM ^
Michigan was the better TEAM today and probably is the second best team in the Big Ten. Kenneth Walker was the game’s best player, by a lot, and that tipped the scales toward Sparty. MSU is probably 4-4 without Walker.
October 30th, 2021 at 8:01 PM ^
Every season michigan has the 2nd best talent team wise and still can't come 2nd in the big ten, it's sad
October 30th, 2021 at 10:20 PM ^
The only thing UM is 2nd in is the state of Michigan.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:11 PM ^
I think PSU will be a toss up game on the road. I hope the team can bounce back and beat IU. I think Maryland should be a win. OSU is just going to have a filed day picking apart our secondary, plus they will gain a lot of yardage on the run. We could finish anywhere from 10-2 to 9-3.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:40 PM ^
They'll use tempo. Our coaching staff will be befuddled by this revolutionary idea.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:13 PM ^
Can somebody remind me of the rules for a 3 way tiebreaker? For example, if Mich beats OSU (by some incredible miracle), and OSU beats MSU, and so all 3 teams end the regular season with 1 conference loss?
October 30th, 2021 at 7:22 PM ^
Tiebreakers (if at any point one team drops out, it goes back to head to head)
1) Record within the group of 3 teams (in this scenario, all are 1-1 so move on to...)
2) Winning percentage within the division (5-1, so move on to...)
3) Record against 4th place team, then 5th place team, etc (1-0 against each so...)
4) Winning percentage against all common conference opponents (perfect, so...)
5) Conference record of the opponents from the other division.
OSU: Nebraska, Purdue, Minnesota (currently 8-8)
MSU: Nebraska, Purdue, Northwestern (currently 5-11)
Michigan: Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin (currently 5-11)
We are rooting for Wisconsin and Northwestern and against Purdue and Minnesota.
If that ends up tied for all three...
6) The result against the West champion. Doesn't matter if they've only played one tied team. So we want Wisconsin to win the West.
7) Overall winning percentage (we're fucked if we get here, because OSU is eliminated so it reverts to M/MSU head to head)
8) Draw lots
October 30th, 2021 at 7:29 PM ^
Thank you!
October 30th, 2021 at 9:24 PM ^
Wow. Well done and enlightening. Thanks.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:14 PM ^
Perdue, upset? Frank says, Hell yeah...
October 30th, 2021 at 7:18 PM ^
OSU will have roughly the same yardage advantage over MSU we had (550-400).
The difference will be that will net eight touchdowns and not three.
October 31st, 2021 at 12:19 AM ^
OSU scored 1 TD in 6 red zone trips against PSU. It’s college football. Nothing makes sense. Eat at Arby’s.
October 31st, 2021 at 8:48 AM ^
PSU’s defense is on a different level than Michigan States. PSU has the best defense in the conference.
They are going to boat race us in Happy Valley.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:18 PM ^
Even 10-2, with losses against both rivals, doesn’t feel good. It’s a weird place to be in. Only a very improbable win against OSU would seem to be narrative shifting. I’m trying to keep perspective considering preseason expectations.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:22 PM ^
It sucks. Full stop. But also no one thought 10-2 was a remote possibility this year. I dunno. It’s hard to know what to think other than that we are doomed to this under Harbaugh. 50% chance of losses to Sparty, PSU, and UW. Guaranteed loss to OSU. Probable bowl loss. Repeat. Maybe we roll that dice enough to get a championship 1 of 10 times or something? I dunno.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:24 PM ^
We are Iowa and Harbaugh is Ferenz.
Time to accept it.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:29 PM ^
That's a great way to put it. When Michigan hired Harbaugh, they thought they were getting Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney, etc. Turns out they were getting Kirk Ferentz.
October 30th, 2021 at 7:40 PM ^
Mostly agree, I hope when a change does happen it’s a true upgrade, because their aren’t many Saban, Meyer, or Swinney’s out there. I will say this, I hope we don’t become what has happened to Nebraska, Texas, USC etc…a constant revolving door. I will still pain thru 9-4 to keep up there win % and stabilize culture and recruiting until we truly find the guy who elevates us. Revolving door = no program stability.
October 30th, 2021 at 8:04 PM ^
Every time people say "Fire Harbaugh!", whether it's frustrated Michigan fans or analysts like Paul Finebaum, this question needs to be asked: Who are you hiring? Give me names.
Harbaugh's won 70.9 percent of his games, and Ferentz, if you take out his first two seasons, has won 65.6 percent of his games.
It's just that the expectations were for Harbaugh to win 90 percent of his games.
October 31st, 2021 at 12:03 AM ^
1. Dave Aranda - winning close games and has a personality that would work with UM’s donor base.
2. Matt Rhule - college and nfl winner; hires excellent staff; strong in-game coach
3. Joe Brady - reset the curve on O with good talent and hire a strong DC.
4. Jim Leonard - high risk but high level of intensity and competitiveness; if he is right guy, then he is 20+ year answer.
Need someone totally committed to recruiting and creating a razor-sharp culture. JH has endorsed hard work, but UM could benefit from a coach who demands high performance.
October 31st, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^
I actually like this list….I believe Jim Leonard is going to be an amazing head coach…I remember being annoyed by how frustratingly sound he was as a safety at Wisconsin, I think he’s the same way as a coach. Matt Rhule also a great name to drop, could end up being a Pete Carroll or Saban type who left the NFL for a blue blood with a recruiting base. And obviously Joe Brady with his success as an O coordinator (but could he also just be Tom Herman?)
October 31st, 2021 at 2:00 AM ^
So tired of this lame “who could we hire?” excuse for keeping Harbaugh. I don’t know, that’s not my job. Guess what, not many people knew who Mel Tucker was a year and a half ago. He has already turned the MSU program around and made it better than Michigan. Good coaches are out there. Find one.
October 30th, 2021 at 10:23 PM ^
What the fuck are you even talking about, Program stability?
How stable is giving up 50-60+ points to OSU the last few years?
How stable has recruiting been? Still some good to great players, but trending down unfortunately.
Losing to your rivals or any ranked team and every bowl game is stable? Sure, stable-bad.
Harbaugh is so stable he's practically frozen in time.
Stable is just another way to say scared and risk averse. Programs don't reach greatness that way anymore.