Dantonio's doing well and all, but we'll be doing well to land just outside the Top 25.
I'd like to see what this "ES" was thinking, because...
A #10 finish pretty much requires a minimum of ten wins in the regular season -- and then a bowl win. So realistically speaking, that means all of the following:
1. Getting at least 3 wins out of playing @Cal, @Penn St, @Michigan and at home for Ohio State and Wisconsin.
2. Beating EVERYBODY else.
3. Winning against a quite good bowl opponent in Jan.
Umm.... Occam's Razor ain't that sharp.
(There you go. Hopefully I have added some karma back to the universe for the benefit of Spartans everywhere.)
I agree with the general trend here (Painter over-rated, etc...), but I think your conclusion is too generous.
My biggest disagreement is that CMU is not a "probable win." The Chips are defending MAC champs, sending back 16 starters, a veteran starter at QB (as good as Painter?) and obviously some experience preparing for Purdue. I'd call this at least a toss-up (and maybe add a "leaning to CMU" if such weaselly qualifications are allowed.)
And if NW is a toss-up, and I agree that it is, then Iowa should be as well.
Likewise, Indiana should be a toss-up. They return more starters and a veteran QB from a winning team of last year. And, oh yeah, one of their '07 wins was against ... Purdue.
The only "probable" wins that I see for Purdue are Minnesota and the layup with Northern Colorado. I think Purdue and Minny fight for the Big Ten basement this year.
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Oh my, #10?
Dantonio's doing well and all, but we'll be doing well to land just outside the Top 25.
I'd like to see what this "ES" was thinking, because...
A #10 finish pretty much requires a minimum of ten wins in the regular season -- and then a bowl win. So realistically speaking, that means all of the following:
1. Getting at least 3 wins out of playing @Cal, @Penn St, @Michigan and at home for Ohio State and Wisconsin.
2. Beating EVERYBODY else.
3. Winning against a quite good bowl opponent in Jan.
Umm.... Occam's Razor ain't that sharp.
(There you go. Hopefully I have added some karma back to the universe for the benefit of Spartans everywhere.)
I agree with the general trend here (Painter over-rated, etc...), but I think your conclusion is too generous.
My biggest disagreement is that CMU is not a "probable win." The Chips are defending MAC champs, sending back 16 starters, a veteran starter at QB (as good as Painter?) and obviously some experience preparing for Purdue. I'd call this at least a toss-up (and maybe add a "leaning to CMU" if such weaselly qualifications are allowed.)
And if NW is a toss-up, and I agree that it is, then Iowa should be as well.
Likewise, Indiana should be a toss-up. They return more starters and a veteran QB from a winning team of last year. And, oh yeah, one of their '07 wins was against ... Purdue.
The only "probable" wins that I see for Purdue are Minnesota and the layup with Northern Colorado. I think Purdue and Minny fight for the Big Ten basement this year.
These look somewhat more like West Virigina's duds than Michigan's:
http://www.nancarrow-webdesk.com/warehouse/storage2/2008-w00/img.102800_t.jpg
Does this mean another lawsuit, or did the divorce stipulate that RR got the clothes?