Playoff Path Just Got a Lot Clearer
With Stanford and Utah losing today, the Pac-12 would appear to be out of the CFP picture. That leaves the other four P5 conferences and Notre Dame. So just three things have to happen now for us to make the four-team field:
- OSU beats MSU next week.
- Stanford beats Notre Dame.
- We win out, and beat Iowa in the B1G title game.
- It's also possible that the Big 12 will cannibalize itself in the next two weeks and lose out on a spot.
Right now, the ACC (Clemson) and SEC (Alabama) appear to be in. The B1G champ has a great case for the third spot, so Michigan just needs to be the B1G champ.
Harbaugh took a bunch of guys who went 5-7 last year, and a quarterback that Iowa didn't want, and he's got us in the CFP conversation in late November. He's good.
November 15th, 2015 at 7:18 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
You can be excited for months and disappoited for a few moments. Seems like a fair trade.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:41 AM ^
OSU doesn't have a shot either since they squeaked by both of those teams.
November 15th, 2015 at 3:05 AM ^
Obligatory.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:05 AM ^
So you are basically saying that we cannot beat OSU or Iowa. Look, I know the defense is concerning, but I was happy to see that our offense could put up some points and win a game for us. That is a huge leap. We know that we may be able to outscore another team if necessary. Glass half full my friend.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:11 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 2:13 AM ^
Thank you sir..
November 15th, 2015 at 2:27 AM ^
They're only in contention to our own fans. I doubt there's another fanbase in this country that believes we have a serious shot.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:40 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 2:55 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:22 AM ^
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November 15th, 2015 at 9:15 AM ^
IF Michigan beats Penn State, Ohio State and undefeated Iowa in the B1G Championship, along with the natural attrition that will occur across all of the other conferences, Michigan has a VERY REAL chance to make the playoff.
Can they win those three games? Of course. You obviously don't think they will. Frankly, neither do I. Not with what I just saw out the Glasgow-less defense.
But they can. And that makes Michigan very much "in contention".
November 15th, 2015 at 10:13 AM ^
And that's what we all wanted, right? For it to be late November and Michigan is still in the hunt for the Big Ten championship.
When was the last time that happened?
November 15th, 2015 at 9:24 AM ^
I think that saying "Iowa didn't want" Rudock over simplifies things. He didn't win the QB job in Iowa.....and the fact that they are undefeated suggests that Ferentz made the right decision (or at least didn't make a bad decision). That doesn't mean they "ddn't want" or didn't value him. They just chose to go with another QB.
November 15th, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
Ferentz catches a ton of crap 'round here due to his schematic tendencies. But he was a gentleman in letting Jake transfer within his conference. A LOT of other coaches would've fought it. Now Ferentz faces the possibility of Rudock leading a team that will ruin his perfect season. Good for him for being decent.
November 15th, 2015 at 8:50 AM ^
It's all irrational. It's sports. In particular, college football, which has a higher quotient of whacky plays and results.
I'm on board with you defending naysayers, but you're talking out of both sides of your mouth.
November 15th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
I don't think it's a joke.
On the other hand, while we are one play away from being 9-1, we're also a couple of plays away from being 6-4.
I think Harbaugh and Co. have done a really good job in their first year in Ann Arbor. Perhaps their best move was solidifying a shaky, at best, QB situation by getting Rudock to play for 1 year.
While we have a shot, and a number of things have to take place for it to happen, this team has a number of deficiencies which attrition and opponents' film study and game planning have made more apparent in the latter part of the season. IMO, we're not a top 4 team ... but, too, that's why you play the game. Things will sort itself out.
Gotta say though that even if we drop the last 2 games, we'lll have had a nice season.
Just have to build on it. Hoke & Co. also had a nice 1st season, too, but I trust that the new regime will build on it rather than regress. Starts at the QB position and they started working on it as soon as they arrived with O'Korn.
November 15th, 2015 at 11:25 AM ^
fall correctly, we're in. Right? We might not do well while we're there but WE'LL BE THERE. Isn't that GREAT??
The issue I have - and maybe the rest of us - is the irrational DEFEATISM. We won yesterday despite getting our heads handed to us as they gashed us with their running game. If Penn State beats us with the same formula, fine, injuries happen and that was just our fate. We move on. If they don't beat us, we move on even better. And if the dominoes fall correctly ALL THE WAY TO COLLEGE PLAYOFFS. My question is, if we get there, is he still going to be just as negative?
November 15th, 2015 at 2:00 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 2:03 AM ^
Well there is the minor detail that they have zero losses.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:09 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 2:25 AM ^
Look, OSU didn't particularly step on IU's throat when they had a two TD 4th quarter lead, but OSU gave up 402 yards on 91 plays. Take out Diamont's 80 yard TD run, and Indiana was even less efficient. And that's 6 more plays than they ran on you. In two less overtimes.
OSU gave up 100 less yards and 14 less points than Michigan. And Indiana couldn't do anything until Diamont came in. Sudfeld couldn't move the ball. He finished 10/21 for 134 yards and no TDs before he got hurt. And while on its face that sounds bad, "OSU gave up a bunch of yards to IU's backup QB" consider: IU's backup is basically a running back and requires a totally different game plan to defend. One OSU didn't prepare for. Diamont ripped off an 80 yard TD run on his second series, then OSU immediately fumbled their next possession, and IU went on their failed tying drive.
OSU was actually having a good defensive day until Sudfeld went out. Howard was equally ineffective until he got hurt also, averaging 2.4 yards per rush. His backup came in and rushed 30 times for 45 yards. Indiana got roughed up defensively until there were 10 mins left in the fourth quarter. And while those yards count, they skew what actually happened.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:33 AM ^
Wait a second, are you actually trying to argue that OSU's seven-point win was superior to Michigan's seven-point win because you were facing IU's backup QB and RB? Drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:38 AM ^
He did say that.
I suppose that we could bring up Maryland (and they could bring up Rutgers)....but...yes, he did say that.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:48 AM ^
I'm also not drunk! I'm painfully sober. Hence why I'm arguing about college football at 3 am on the Internet :/
November 15th, 2015 at 3:01 AM ^
Mmmkay well OSU was losing at halftime with Sudfield and Howard in and was losing in the third quarter with Diamont and Redding in. They also had two more turnovers than Michigan, 37 more penalty yards, the exact same number of points in regulation, and went 2-14 in third downs.
Next time, just tell us you're drunk. It's far more excusable.
November 15th, 2015 at 10:41 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 11:55 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 3:07 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 7:21 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 10:41 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 2:39 AM ^
If only we could find a way for OSu and UM to decide this on the field.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:46 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 2:53 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 9:31 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
Easy jonross...
November 15th, 2015 at 1:54 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 1:57 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 2:13 AM ^
I think North Carolina replaces Clemson.
November 15th, 2015 at 7:03 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 7:22 AM ^
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November 15th, 2015 at 10:01 AM ^
If UNC managed to beat Clemson, it will be their only good win of the year. Their SOS is out in Baylor territory. If there's a logjam of 1-loss teams at the top, I could see UNC getting snubbed.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:00 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 2:12 AM ^
This is a legit, snark-free question?
Why?
We just saw a bunch of teams ranked in that 6-12 range that would be fighting for those last few spots lose tonight. Do we really think that these teams that would end up finishing the season ranked 6-8 deserve to play for a title? I get it if you have a 5th team that is good and they get left out, that sucks. But if 6 or 7 teams can be considered better than you after 12 games, im not sure you have a good gripe.
November 15th, 2015 at 2:50 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:48 AM ^
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November 15th, 2015 at 8:14 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 9:22 AM ^
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November 15th, 2015 at 9:36 AM ^