UMxWolverines

May 23rd, 2013 at 7:37 PM ^

That really is a stupid argument in the first place. IF they played in the SEC...yeah IF, but they don't. Basing polls on something that can't happen is stupid. At least Lou Holtz has gotten his Notre Dame playing in the national championship prediction right once. 

WolvinLA2

May 23rd, 2013 at 7:54 PM ^

But don't you have to do some "IF" scenarios to do a poll?  Most of the teams don't play each other, so unless you rank 100% based on record, there is a little hypothetical guessing involved.  This happens with all of the mid-major teams.  People say that 11-2 NIU is more like a 3 or 4 loss BCS team, because if they played in a major conference, they'd lose a couple more games.  We don't know that.  But without that speculation, you're left with "standings" and not "rankings."

evenyoubrutus

May 23rd, 2013 at 7:38 PM ^

Actually he is exactly right, which must be the first time ever. Strangely he's using the logic that all voters should use in that he's ranking teams based on how good they are and not what he thinks their record should be. In fact I would take that a step further and argue they would have lost 4 games with Michigan's schedule.

WolvinLA2

May 23rd, 2013 at 7:47 PM ^

Well, his second sentence is about this year.  He's saying that OSU would lose 4 games in the SEC.  If he thinks that, he shouldn't put them above an SEC team he thinks will lose 4 games as well.  

I think his first statement was saying that OSU wasn't really as good last year as their record suggests since they came very close to losing a handful of games (some of which were to bad teams) but that is too many characters for twitter.  One problem with twitter is someone's point can get misconstrued because of the need to be overly succinct. But perhaps he should have said "nearly lost" instead of "should have lost."

Personally, I don't disagree with either of his points.  Like ND, OSU was a handful of plays away from 8-4, but unlike ND, didn't really beat anyone in the process (other than us, which was in Columbus).  

Perkis-Size Me

May 23rd, 2013 at 8:16 PM ^

He didn't pick a great avenue to voice his opinion, and the guy has worse grammar problems than a 16 year old girl. But he's right. They're vastly overrated, and while 12-0 is 12-0, they would have been saddled with 3-5 losses in the SEC last year. Us included. OSU was good by B1G standards last year, but from a national perspective, that's not saying much. They're good but they're not as good as they think they are.

WolvinLA2

May 23rd, 2013 at 8:54 PM ^

OK, I didn't necessarily mean they'd only struggle with the good teams, but that Purdue game is certainly part of my evidence.  If Purdue was a good team, they would have won.  Same with MSU and Indiana.  If you replace those teams with their SEC equivalents, and OSU probably loses all three.  Probably Cal and Wisconsin too.  And unlike UGA, OSU would get clobbered by Bama in the championship game.  

clarkiefromcanada

May 23rd, 2013 at 8:28 PM ^

 

Buckeyes Fans Let Him Have It On Twitter...(in short, poorly written, grammatically limited and pithy responses offering little in the way of actual thought or commentary).

E. Gordon Gee

May 23rd, 2013 at 9:27 PM ^

I agree with a majority of the points here. 

  • OSU was good by B1G standards but not by national standards. Keep in mind the entire B1G was down including OSU. 
  • OSU would have likely had four loses or more with any SEC schedule. We're talking about a team that could barely tackle at the beginning of the year and struggled to put teams away. 
  • OSU is getting lots of hype based on how they perform even though they had several close games that could have went the other way. 
  • OSU shouldn't be ranked any higher than the 4th best SEC he believes they will lose to. Agree with this statement 100%

Some additions points 

  • Another factor for this hype is based on Meyer second tenure at the programs (Utah perfect season, Florida national title) he's been at. In essence the media, fans, Kool-Aid drinkers (which I'm not) are hyped up to think they'll go 26-0 and end the SEC streak of seven national titles. 
  • OSU is getting more hype based on their easy schedule and not their talent. Not to long ago, Schlabaugh had OSU as the top of his ESPN top 25 because of their schedule. 

I, like other OSU fans, don't like Mark May but he is right on this topic. I've seen him troll OSU way harder than this but this clearly isn't an example of it.  

Tater

May 23rd, 2013 at 10:30 PM ^

I don't see May as "trolling" at all.  What has OSU really done in the last seven years to make Mark May think that they are capable of beating any SEC team other than Arkansas?  They lost two MNC games to Florida and LSU, and lost the 2012 Gator Bowl to a mediocre Florida team.  

Since 2001, OSU is 1-5 against the SEC in bowl games.  Exactly what is Mark May supposed to think?

Danwillhor

May 23rd, 2013 at 11:05 PM ^

Pre-season polls in general are the problem and have been. People complained for year why/how the BCS could mess things up so bad when they were too dumb to realize their vote in the pre-season was a large problem. Why reward a team for what they did LAST year? Why? No reason to. Everyone from Idaho to Alabama stars the year 0-0 regardless of the previous year. Why they don't just wait until every team has played 6 games before tossing out a poll is beyond me! The only thing that happens is that an undefeated major will likely play for a NC if undefeated no matter what.........wait.......nope. Because of pre-season polls you have teams like Auburn go undefeated in the 2000's and get left out due to where they started in a poll week 1. Worse? A team like USC can begin the year #1, start out 5-2 and remain in the top 10. Why? They arbitrarily began as the #1 team in an unnecessary pre-season poll. You start #11 or higher and lose a single game? Good luck. Start in the top ten and lose a game and you have a chance at the NCG. It's bogus logic.

saveferris

May 24th, 2013 at 8:01 AM ^

Mark May isn't wrong in suggesting that OSU was probably not as good as their 12-0 record last year indicates and that if they played in a more competitive conference their record would suffer.  Still to suggest that OSU is not a pre-seaosn Top 10 team is assinine.  I'm not suggesting they merit a pre-seaosn number one ranking, but with their talent, Meyer as coach, their soft schedule, and their performance last season you don't think they're at least the 10th best team in the country?  I call bullshit.

Danwillhor

May 24th, 2013 at 12:37 PM ^

I don't know what happened to allow a "power program" like osu to have such a cake conference schedule lately but that is on the conference and a bit of luck on their part. OOC games are on them so playing Texas, Cal, Navy or whoever is on them and I won't touch that as they have gone the cake and tough route the last decade or so. Regardless of OOC, just because there are only 3 teams in the conference that a Meyer coached osu team couldn't sleep walk past is not their fault. I'd consider them a top 10 team as well but I agree with May in that last year osu was not "12-0" good. Their year mirrored nd's in so many ways outside of the level of names on their schedule. We (cue clip) absolutely let them off the hook in the 2nd half, Purdue has played them harder than anyone the last few years so that game was a crazy comeback Purdue implosion win and then msu and Wizzy had no offense last year. A trash Cal team went to Cbus and almost won, etc. I believe both msu & wizzy would play defense and, score or not, get the ball and immediately punt haha (Wizzy run game did break out late). They beat Purdue in a similar way we beat NW and then it was up to an offensless msu and us to beat them. We both should have but, again, no offense and an odd decision to not play offense for an entire 2nd half. So, it was similar in that other than Miller you watched them win games where nobody else on their team looked special and the opponent seemed to find a way to lose. That is why I say they are top 10 this year (IMO) as opposed to last year even with going 12-0. This year their defense will actually have more than 3 good players that aren't Freshman and you have to assume an already scary talented Miller will be adjusted to the offense. Sadly, our November is such a gauntlet this year that I see us going into the osu game with a few losses (1-3) but I don't see anyone on osu's schedule that can beat them outside of us and that isn't arrogance. Heck, beating them will take another win like we had in Hoke's first year as I don't see us being experienced enough to "roll" an osu team like we did in 03 and some 90's games. Our future paths will determine that as meyer has to constantly find "THAT QB" or his offense isn't as scary, unique and effective as it was before the spread went viral. Teams can defend it now if your QB isn't insanely gifted (like a Miller) or insanely smart/leaders/slightly less gifted (like a Tebow). An average QB in any year can see "Florida when Tebow left" like drops where it's all on the defense to win. We just have to maintain our recruitment/development of pro-style guys on offense (every position) and learn from the past and keep our defense tough but athletic enough to move with a spread team. To finish this boring reply, I just don't see how they can't be a top 10 team this year. Easy schedule or not, they stay healthy and Miller alone will win most games. That is just good luck and BS. Amazing how a team gets a slap on the wrist for what everyone in the nation knows was a crooked program/regime and to top it off an admittedly good, young, proven coach falls in their lap with a QB that (outside of Tebow) he couldn't ask to better suit his offense. Their "punishment" was one year of going 6-7 under Fickell and then winning the lottery. lol.....fuck osu.

Danwillhor

May 25th, 2013 at 12:10 AM ^

That is the thing. They are going to be a top 10 team regardless. They just also happen to have a cake schedule so don't be shocked if we are what stands between osu going undefeated again and then getting drubbed by one of the very few elite teams out there (top 5). osu can (and I think will) be a top ten team but like last year they won't have to do much to become so. Honestly, Purdue plays osu hard so I'll toss them in as possibly the only other conference team to even give them a game this year if Miller is healthy. msu might as well if their offense has a pulse. Other than that? Really can't name a team. Do they play Nebraska or NW? They could also keep it close I guess? The difference between their "sanctions" and our coaching blunder turnaround is exactly that. They never had to "turn around" or rebuild. Talent JT brought in is still there in spades and meyer has done nothing but add to it with no drop in quality. Their "punishment" was having an unready, likely blackmailing moron as HC for one year before a snake with rings fell in their lap and osu fans had to endure the terrible shame of sleepwalking past all but 3-4 of their games to go undefeated due to schedule. So, it plays the part of allowing them to possibly play for a NT but they will be a top 10 team this year regardless, IMO. Yet, I see it a lot like last year in that we'll see about 5 truly elite teams (Bama, Oregon, LSU, UF, UG types) and the teams ranging from #6-25 not being much better or worse than each other. Unless Miller just goes off (I think he is capable) I don't see them in that elite group but still a top 10 team.