Michigan #26 in latest AP, USA Today polls.
Looks like we are just outside the top 25 with 104 points. USA Today poll has them at #26 with 97 points.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:18 PM ^
about right.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:20 PM ^
For once, I'm hoping that we are not in the polls. Last night was one of the most exilerating games I have ever watched, but it also showed we are not there yet. I would prefer to be under-the-radar until we can beat a big time team. The last two years have curbed my early season expectations.
September 11th, 2011 at 7:01 PM ^
You can't ignore Michigan's struggle against ND in the first three quarters. The defense still can't stop anybody(though they're marginally better than last year) and the offense is still in a major work in progress. If ND took care of the ball, they win big, but they didn't. That's the way game goes.
Good thing that EMU is terrible, Michigan should roll this game since they're far more inferior than WMU.
September 11th, 2011 at 7:18 PM ^
but they've got hart.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:21 PM ^
Highly overrated. We haven't beaten any team that's any good yet. San Diego St. is going to be a rough game for us.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^
they're awesome at shooting themselves in the face, but they're in no way a bad football team.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:53 PM ^
They didn't shoot themselves in the face, our Defense played hard and made tournovers.
September 11th, 2011 at 2:19 PM ^
Well, Rees kind of shot himself in the face on his fumble, and Wood just kind of dropped his. The defense played hard, but those weren't the same category of turnover as against WMU.
September 11th, 2011 at 2:28 PM ^
Our defense played hard. They played hard last year in my opinion. Two of the turnovers yesterday were pure gifts. We did nothing to cause them.
September 11th, 2011 at 5:26 PM ^
But some of that was a wash because on at least one of those turnovers we gave the ball right back. Denard did throw three interceptions yesterday. The defense did play better. They had some brain farts too. With that being said, I am still encouraged that this is a different team than the one we saw the past several years. Second game in a new system. They still will get better.
September 11th, 2011 at 6:52 PM ^
No, they definitely shot themselves in the face.
The 2nd pick, and 2 fumbles were definitely unforced errors.
Even the first pick was ND's fault. Brian Kelly said the TE ran the wrong route, and Rees threw it where the guy was supposed to be. Regardless, Kovacs did have to make an outstanding play to pick off that ball.
Our players still had to make plays on the ball, and fight for those fumbles, but most of the turnovers were a result of our defense capitaliizing on unforced errors, not forcing errors.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^
SDSU is not a world beater. They barely beat Army. Lindley will be a challenge, but then UM has already faced two good QBs in Carder and Rees.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:43 PM ^
And army fumbled 8 times....
September 11th, 2011 at 7:17 PM ^
Honestly, I am more scared of Ronnie Hilman (although, like you, I am not scared of SDSU in general). That kid is the real deal. UM will beat SDSU by at least 2 TD's. Book it.
September 11th, 2011 at 6:54 PM ^
I believe SDSU's top 2 receivers will be out. So, those are two less weapons our defense will have to worry about.
September 11th, 2011 at 7:05 PM ^
And that was after their top two receivers from last year left for the NFL. Their leading returning receiver has like six career catches.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^
San diego state is probably on the same level as Western without Jordan White... or any other receivers for that matter. Plus they aren't changing offensive systems or defensive systems so Hoke and Borges know what they'll be doing. It might end up being a blowout victory for Michigan.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^
If ND can stop turning the ball over, they'll be really good. They basically kicked the shit out of us Wisconsin style except their QB alternated between Tolzien and Damon Dowdell.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:35 PM ^
Love ya big guy!
September 11th, 2011 at 2:09 PM ^
One of my all-time favorites, right up there with Todd Shultz.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
KBLOW is highly overrated and every game is rough for him.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:21 PM ^
After lolEastern we'll probably get top 25.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:22 PM ^
Victory hangover aside, there's nooooo waaaaay we're close to a top 25 outfit after that performance.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:25 PM ^
but look at the teams behind us. USC, Maryland, UCF, Missouri, Northwestern, PSU, etc. None of those teams are worldbeaters, and the best teams on that list have a loss.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:39 PM ^
You don't have to be real good. Just as good or better than the other mediocre teams, with a notable victory. I mean, USC should have lost to Minnesota. But someone has to be ranked. We're talking top 25, not top 5. At the end of the year the 25th ranked team will have 4 losses.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:23 PM ^
Did Michigan beat a solid ND team? Yes, but they should not be ranked yet. The Eastern game is a win, but that will not put them in the top 25 either. They might need to be 5-0 before they get in the top 25. I would rather have Michigan remain under the radar for a while.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:24 PM ^
Polls give me ulcers.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^
When I was younger and newer to CFB, I was all about the polls and took them personally when Michigan wasn't ranked as high as I thought they should have been, but now I don't worry about them nearly as much. All that matters is winning and the polls will take care of themselves.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:24 PM ^
Rankings mean nothing. Wins mean everything. Let's wait and see.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
Of reason.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^
I think just out of the spotlight is about right for us. We're not there yet, but I think we showed last night that we can potentially hang out in the neighborhood again, if you will.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^
If we beat SDSU, then I'll feel we might be ready to be ranked. Right now the only place we need to be ranked is MOST EXCITING WIN EVER!!!!
September 11th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^
Just being honest, but we shouldn't be in the top 25 unless we're undefeated and beat MSU, the next morning should be the first day we're back in the top 25.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
Michigan 104, USC 68, Houston 32, Maryland 32, UCF 31, Missouri 23, Northwestern 19, Penn State 18, Brigham Young 14, Tennessee 13, Washington 12, Georgia 8, Georgia Tech 2
We deserve to be the favorite in any of those games.
September 12th, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^
We COULD, but I don't think it'd be a forgone conclusion (I know you didn't say that it would) that we'd beat ANY of those teams.
I'd definitely put us behind USC, Houston, Maryland, and UCF. In fact UCF should be ranked...they DOMINATED BC last week. They beat Georgia in the LIberty Bowl and returned like 19 starters. Houston has Keenum in his 17th year.
UCF and Houston could easily be undefeated this year going into the C-USA Championship game. Both are better than Michigan right now.
Michigan had a couple big plays to beat WMU, but it's WMU a MAC team...who cares. Then ND may have put the game away had Mike Martin not rub his sweat all over the ball when ND was in the red zone to go up two scores, and its ND a choke job team with a hot head coach who is overrated...who cares?
We play EMU and SDSU...who cares?
Minnesota? Still don't care.
N'Western...kinda care.
MSU...first legit victory.
We deserve to be higher than all of them? Based on what exactly? Have we been powering through teams? Even if they're MAC teams, have we straight dominated games? I'm just confused as how we deserve to be higher. Why? Because we're Michigan and in the Big Ten and most of them are not?
September 11th, 2011 at 1:37 PM ^
You don't think we are better than Penn State??? We will most likely be ranked after the Eastern game because a 15-25 team will lose and we will be 3-0 and we beat a previously ranked ND team.
How about Iowa losing to Iowa State too? The big ten looked pretty overrated this weekend (with the exception of Wisconsin)
September 11th, 2011 at 1:41 PM ^
Wisconsin wasn't even that good. Oregon State blows. They lost to Sacremento State at home last week. The Wisconsin shut out looks nice, but I definitely anticipated Oregon State losing by more than 30. They will likely be the doormat of the Pac12.
September 11th, 2011 at 2:12 PM ^
Wisconsin beat UNLV(week 1) by 35 who were down to washington state by 35 by halftime and lost by 52.Then they beat a shitty Oregon State team without there 1 good player, who lost to Sacremento State.Wisconsin continues to schedule cupcakes, they will never play anyone out of conference.Thety were supposed to start a series with Va. Tech last year but of course backed out.Not hard to win 10 games every year when you only play 2 ranked teams each year.
September 11th, 2011 at 3:40 PM ^
September 11th, 2011 at 1:37 PM ^
I say we should be in the Top 25 if we beat SDSU. By that point, we'll presumably be 4-0, and have 1 epic win over a probably-great team, 2 wins over decent teams, and a blowout over Eastern. Routing Minnesota the next week would set us at 5-0 in October.
September 11th, 2011 at 3:35 PM ^
But I think you should add Notre Dame. I believe we are 23-15-1.
September 11th, 2011 at 3:57 PM ^
beat me to it
September 11th, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
untill we beat MSU next month.
September 11th, 2011 at 2:14 PM ^
That's how I feel about it as well. beat some B1G teams. And then it's time to start thinking about rankings. Notre Dame is no longer a measuring stick game.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:40 PM ^
I'm cool with it, we're going to end up ranked in the next couple weeks anyways.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^
Defense is now starting to make stops on 3rd and short and forcing turnovers! I'm liking the progress of what I'm seeing!
September 11th, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^
I'm not sold on this. ND is not a good team. Good talent but a constant stream of mental failures.
At this point Northwestern is the first decent team we play and MSU is the first ranked team. I honestly don't think we should be ranked until at least Northwesten, possibly longer.
September 11th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
I'm fine not being ranked. If this team beats SDSU, Minny, and NW, then sure, go and rank them. But this team needs to be someone like MSU, Iowa, or Nebraska. Looking at the schedule, though, I can definitely see this team being 8-2 or 9-1 heading into the games against Nebraska and OSU, which would be amazing given how the past couple of years have played out.
September 11th, 2011 at 3:28 PM ^
Next year's schedule will be brutal. I almost wish we had this year's schedule next year.