Michigan #8 in USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll
Seems a little high, but I guess this is moot because of the opener against Alabama will have a large influence on our ranking moving forward.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/usatpoll.htm
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:32 PM ^
and has a first place vote? ND is ranked? Yeah, makes a ton of sense.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:38 PM ^
..and every day the sky is always blue, the grass is green, and I get morning wood.
ND could get the death penalty and start the season #23, with Holtz predicting a MNC.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
7-6 team that wasn't any good last year.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:46 PM ^
To win the Heisman each year for each year of eligibility remaining...
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:39 PM ^
Would not be surprised if he voted his own team #1.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:51 PM ^
FSU might actually be pretty good. E.J. Manuel is a proven QB and a senior, his biggest issues last year resulted from a decimated offensive line. There is a good chance they take quite a leap forward this year.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:39 PM ^
Their homers make the ND faithful look like rational, realistic human beings. Unfortunately, this extends to their reporters.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^
Hey, it's like the slots... if you keep betting on ND, they've got to be better than mediocre sooner or later, right? Right?
On a seperate note, I was equally surprised that FSU was ranked so high. Their D was good last year, but their offense was mediocre to bad most nights and that was playing in the mostly inept ACC.
Also, it's interesting to see Alabama get so much love (most first place votes) when they've lost so many kids and LSU and USC have so much coming back. Don't get me wrong--I understand that you've gotta respect the Saban, and I'm still scared of them.
Loaded with talent?? Sure. Other than quaterback, receiver and their entire secondary they are loaded. They have a good tight end and a good linebacker. Everyone else is meh.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:34 PM ^
Given our schedule, I don't believe we'll hang around the Top-Ten too often this season. But, given where we thought we'd be a year ago at this time, I'll take that pre-season ranking all day, er'y day!
30 DAYS, BABY--LET'S GO BLUE!!
What in the hell does anyone's forthcoming schedule have to do with where they are ranked? I understand that a tough schedule makes it harder to go undefeated. Using that as a factor in ranking teams seems beyond idiotic to me.
Seems like he was just saying he'll enjoy being in the top ten while he can, as our schedule will really make it difficult to stay there.
Eff you, man.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:36 PM ^
Gotta love how the SEC coaches support one another. 8 is a bit high for a likely 4 loss Michigan team this year. The good news is that #8 losing to #2 will keep us in the top 13-15 until we meet ND. Conversely, #8 beating #2 will move us to #3 behind LSU and USC. That would be really tough to justify. Just another reason that polls should not be released until week 6.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:45 PM ^
The schedule is much more difficult, we have only 6 home games, we play an improved Nebraska and OSU team (both on the road), and we always find a way to piss one away that we shouldn't (MSU or Iowa... take your pick). I will always root for 12-0, but the schedule, unfortunately, roots against me.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:53 PM ^
Nebraska might be improved, but we basically blew them out last year and Martinez still can't throw. I certainly wouldn't call that one a sure loss.
It's silly to predict the future based on one isolated game from last season. Way too many variables. We caught them at their low-point, after a very draining game at Paternoville; they caught us at our peak. We benefitted from a ton of fumbles. And playing at Nebraska -- at night, national TV, revenge factor, biggest game of their season -- will be a whole different deal. I'm not saying we'll lose. But, if I were a betting man...
DOUBLE REVENGE GAME!
We were helped by 2 consecutive fumble recoveries on kickoffs in that game. That won't happen again for a long time. It probably should have been much closer like 31 - 24. Our defense played great but our offense had a short field thanks to special teams turnovers by the Huskers.
on the same note how many time did Lavonte David barely get Denards heel to trip him up when Denard had 20-30 yards ahead of him.
I don't see them scoring 24 even if WE had turned the ball over on special teams. Their offense was completely shut down
We dominated that game. To say our margin was due to turnovers doesn't do us justice. We had 24 first downs to their 11 and 418 yards to their 260. And we threw an INT in our own territory as well, but unlike NU, our defense held. Here's the box score:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=313230130
It is easy to rack up twice as many first downs and yards when you've had twice as much time of possession.
I think you're being overly pessimistic in your recollection of that game. That was simply not a close game. While we benefitted from the fumbles, their offense couldn't do anything against us all day and the game was never really going to be in doubt(think 06 PSU game but slightly less dominant defense)
Heh the same people saying 8-4 , said we would be 8-4 last year too.
There is nothing to show Nebraska and OSU will be an improved team when we play them. We'll see when the season starts as of right now you're guessing.
The same goes for alabama nobody knows what Bama is going to look like , especially on Defense.
I'll say the same thing about ND as i did last year. They lost 2 of 3 to 3 of the worst Michigan teams in school history , including one at home. They haven't shown they have an answer to Denard and last time he played at ND he set Big Ten and NCAA records. Until they actually beat Michigan , how can you pick them to win.
The big IF , is IF Michigan play well on the road this year. IF they can I don't see why any would exspect anything less than another 11-2 or 12-1 season.
There is nothing to show that other teams will improve but Michigan is destined to repeat 11-2 or improve. Yeah man, nothing to refute that. Surely all of UM's replacements will exceed their expectations, no one from OSU or Nebraska will improve or exceed theirs.
"I don't see why any would expect anything less than another 11-2 or 12-1"
Because you are starting the season against the defending national champion at a neutral site, likely dogged double digits at kick. That defending NC also has the best coach in college and has recruited more talent than any other team over the last 3 years. UM will also play 3 likely-to-be-ranked at the time teams on the road, where if you'll recall, UM didn't play very well on last year, taking their two losses to a kinda good team and a pretty meh team.
If you don't see that as reason to speculate on more than 2 losses, you're a total blind homer. Not saying it can't happen but if you're being reasonable, even if Michigan is a better team in 2012, they could very well end up with a worse record than 2011, that's just the way it sets up.
I understand that a 4-loss season is possible, but likely is still a stretch.
8-4 is my expectation for the regular season as well. I hope we do better than that obviously, but if I were placing money on it, that's my prediction. Alabama, ND, MSU, NU, Ohio are all going to be tough. Iowa or Northwestern both have a shot to upset as well.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:37 PM ^
Bama neutral, Neb, Osu on the road... With a favorable schedule and key home games I could hope for #8 but I see us ending up in the #16-20 area, even though as a team, we just may be the 8th best.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
For us to get down to 16-20, we're probably talking about four losses. While certainly possible, we can definitely be more optimistic about the season then 8-4ish. Judging by the Coaches Poll the past few years, with three losses we'd probably be in the 12-13 range, with two putting us solidly in the top ten.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:36 PM ^
Thank god we have preason polls, I dont know what I would do without them
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:45 PM ^
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:38 PM ^
As much as having a senior QB for the first time since 2007, and a solid defense finally is great... I think this team could be better than last year, and still lose 4 games.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:45 PM ^
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:51 PM ^
I have to assume you are considering Alabama, ND, Nebraska and OSU the "good teams". But are you saying that Sparty and Iowa are bad? If so, they have managed to win the past 7 concesutive combined meetings with us... I would say they are "good".
I also don't think that AIr Force will be the patsy everyone thinks, despite replacing 9 starters on offense.
That we have lost 4 in a row to Sparty, 3 in a row to Iowa and we were extremely lucky to beat ND the last 3 years? To pencil wins against any team like these or on the road at OSU and Nebraska is silly. OSU was one incomplet TD pass from B Miller away from taking that game last year. If he was better, they win... he will be better.
OK, so we won't be any better, but everyone we play will be. Got it.
Errr, most of our OL returns, with our leading RB, you know the guy who put up 134 yards on you? Best of luck without Martin and VanBergen. Our Dline doesn't strike fear into anyone really? Gary Gray out of the secondary is like addition by subtraction.
As for stopping Denard.. You guys were like 3 and out for 3 quarters. It can be done.
in the past two years, this is his stat line:
35/64 55% 559Y 8.7YPA 5TD 3INT
44A 364Y 3TD
Regardless of when he put those yards up in a game, he put up 423 yards on ND's defense last year, and 502 the year before that. Denard can be shut down, sure, but ND hasn't shown itself capable of doing it yet.
loved that guy. wish he had the same eligibility as tacopants.
I know gary gray sucked but you have wood and jackson projected to start and they were both below gray on the depth chart last year. you also don't have a single freshman corner coming in i believe. when a rb is moved to corner that probably means its not a great group. the front 7 however is going to be pretty damn good. I think Nix is gonna be a beast at NT.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:39 PM ^
Good for recruiting and fun for pre-season conversation, but little else.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
Until we beat both Alabama and ND, I don't think this is justified. If we do beat both of those teams, though, we could be underrated at #8.
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:50 PM ^
WHEN we beat both teams, I'd say we have a case for top 3.