Phil Steele Pre-Season Rank: Michigan 12th
Is anyone else fine with this? I mean, beyond the whole 'pre-season rankings are meaningless.' Top 15, with Michigan's schedule, is striking distance for top 4 when it counts, especially with the Game to end the season. It'll allow the young guys and QB to get settled in and generally reduce the pressure (though I'm not sure Harbaugh is a fan of that).
Just win the games.
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That is strange, because there is no site on the web more credible than Fanbuzz.
Is one of the best. Michigan fans whining because OSU is higher is really sort of dumb. Let's not forget they just beat UM at home by 4 TD's, they have a blue chip player at every position, and they have a heisman finalists at QB. Last but not least they have a HC that is 50-4 in 4 years and has never lost to Michigan.
On the other hand Michigan is returning what should be a very good team, but until they actually prove something on the field against a top 10 opponent, they will only be seen as a team with potential, not much more.
You forgot the 2008 Capital One Bowl.
That's his projected AP standings, right? I believe that's different than his rankings. That's him predicting where the AP will rank us, not where he ranks us.
I assume that his own rankings are for the end of the season.
Is actually just about right. UM has not proven it worthy of a top ten ranking, at least not yet. But 12th is close enough that if UM just keeps winning it will get all it wants. Michigan also has the Easiest Schedule in the Big 10, so it will move up many spots before MSU or OSU rolls around.
will have to lose 3+ games to finish out of the top 10. yes, it could happen, but i doubt it.
I wanted to neg you for the 'easiest schedule' in the Big 10 comment, but given the five home game start (the first three against UCF, Hawaii, Colorado), you could maybe make that argument, even though Michigan plays home against Penn State and Wisconsin, and then at Michigan State, Iowa, and Ohio State. I would qualify that by saying 'easiest schedule' among potential contenders.
Is there something about the Huskies that I don't know about? I know they have Chris Petersen, but I doubt even he could build up Washington that quickly...
Is this ranking with mustard maize pants, lighter than mustard maize pants, white pants or Taco Pants? We need to get this settled.
I heard Adidas is still in play.
that are left off this list we should consider?
A&M is putting together a pretty strong ball club this year.
from aJm.
Mr. Loomynatty had us ranked #666
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For all of the color blind mgobloggers, I'd like to point out that last years so called maize is not mustard. I encourage you to look at the color of mustard out of a bottle or the actual plant if you have that over there in Michigan. You'll find that your maize color from last year is actually more resembling of a dandelion yellow. Thanks and go blue.
Mustard is what the color was compared to in a now deleted thread.
fuck him, he has OSU at 6, talk about a biased assed dickhead.
Steele was on the radio this morning with Sam Webb and he says U-M is a legit NC candidate.
He ain't the dickhead, pal.
Don anyone who doesn't like Michigan is a dickhead didn't ya know?
/s
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To be fair, OSU has been very good to great the last decade including a Natty two seasons ago so he's been right then
I'm ok with it. Both O'Korn and Speight impressed me to varying degrees in the spring game, but the fact still is we have an unknown at the most important position on the field. Our defense looks to be fantastic, but we do have to replace an entire position group that was already lackluster. As great as our line and secondary are, we're going to be in trouble again against spread to run teams if we can't seal the edge. People point to missing Glasgow as the main reason OSU ran all over us, but the real culprit was our complete inability to seal the edge against their power read, because of our unathletic linebackers.
I think that we will come together, find our QB, and get some decent play from more athletic linebackers than last year's starters, but we haven't yet, and #12 is reflective of that.
because it had an all time great defense allowed the offense to find itself and be a consistent part of the team with a solid run game and a great game manager at QB in Griese who was originally a walk on.
This offense should be more talented and I have a special feeling about the defense, the sky is the limit IMO.
I have mostly the same feelings, with some misgivings about our running game. I just want to hold off on annoiting them until they've proved it.
at the 'Bama teams, it seems like they have a first year quarterback each year (including last year's NC team). I think Saban prefers the safe - don't f it up - old man Rudock types. It's like dad doesn't give you the keys to the car until senior year in high school.
starting every game.
But Backus and Hutch were freshmen, so not exactly the same Backus and Hutch most remember.
That's why our running game was good no matter who was carrying the ball.
The 97 National Champs were pre-season #14 if I recall correctly.
Steele has always been solid, IMO. Michigan is meaningfully in the mix now, and going forward.
in the coaches poll. I believe even lower than that in the AP.
Hmmm.. I recall 14 but with so many polls, maybe some were lower.
Regardless, starting in the Top 15 and being MICHIGAN means all you have to do is win the games.
14th in the preseason USA Today poll.
We slid up to 13 for the opener against Colorado because the first game wasn't until September 13th...and we were the only team in the country who had not played a game yet.
So who ever Harbaugh names as the starter will get some games to improve before we play sparty, Iowa and OSU. I do hope the LB play will improve. Otherwise, the D should be great this season. 2017 we may need a more of a high power offense, since we lose so many D starters.
Definitely, our schedule sets up very nicely! 2017 should be interesting, with Harbaugh recruited guys entering their 2nd and 3rd years, it will be our first glimpse of whether Harbaugh is going to turn us into a program like Alabama or Ohio State that simply reloads every year.
edit never mind just realized you said 2017 so weren't referring to this coming season
I'm going to say it is nearly impossible to seal the edge against OSU without stacking the box and playing agressive against the run. We didn't even try those things, so not sure a more athletic linebacking group would have made a lot of difference. But I think I agree that #12 seems about right. Definitely not our ceiling, but a good starting point given the open questions.
we do have arguable the best secondary in the nation.
We might be able to stack the box and get away with it.
could have last year. I wonder if at any point Durkin left his email chain with the Maryland Athletic Department for long enough to watch how Michigan State defended Ohio State exactly ONE WEEK BEFORE!?!
ever and there was zero chance they would do it again? It was also played in a driving rain.
that one. I think you remember the one. It was played at Ohio Stadium, a 3:30 game I believe. It was right after we played Penn State. Michigan State won on a field goal. They played without their starting QB. Ohio State took the lead in the 3rd on a short touch down pass, but that lead would not hold as the Spartans answered on the next possession. It was Senior Day for the Buckeyes.
Any other details that could help clarify exactly when, where, and what the game was in case any confusion remains?
For the last time...Bill Belichick, Vince Lombardi, & DJ Durkin's combined game plan weren't going to save us that game! Urban got smart and put the ball in Zeke's hand more. I hate OSU as much as the next guy, but they were better than us last season. The fact that they had 8 or 9 guys drafted in the first 2 or 3 rounds of the draft is some of the proof. Durkin was pretty damn good last year as a whole.
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7 in the first two rounds BUT five (!) of the first twenty picks and 12 drafted overall. That's incredible. It's amazing that they dumped the MSU game.
Every school says this. The fact is that everyone has issues at some positions and I doubt there are 11 teams with less issues than us. It's a preseason poll so it doesn't matter where we are but it's not ludicrous to think that a team that finished last year ranked 12th can be ranked in the top 10.
how would everyone rate these LBs based on athleticism alone? Mine goes...
1. Bush
2. Gedeon
3. McCray
4. Bolden
5. Morgan
he lost me with FSU 1. and Tennessee at 7.
While it's hard to put FSU ahead of Bama and Clemson, it's not totally ridiculous to think they could be the best team in the country. Tennessee at 7 is absurd.
Tennessee is not that far fetched at 7. They led late in all the games they lost and should've beat Bama last year. They have good QB play and a proven running game, with a decent D. Let's see if Butch can actually finish games this year...probably not.
...just ask Baghdad Butch. He doesn't lie.