Michigan #3 in the AP Poll, still #4 in Coaches
http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll
In the Coaches poll we're still #4, only 19 points behind Clemson. Wisconsin stayed at #10 despite losing to OSU.
http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/football/polls/coaches-poll/
October 16th, 2016 at 1:27 PM ^
October 16th, 2016 at 2:10 PM ^
Looks like pollsters are starting to devalue all these "signature wins" ACC teams have against each other and no one else...
October 16th, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^
Not really. But you can't struggle week in and week out versus GT, BC, NC State, and Duke and those types. Beating L'Ville, Miami, UNC and FSU are solid to great wins.
IMO they're getting dropped for the other games. Michigan can struggle to beat Wisconsin but we're blowing everyone else out. If we struggled in the non-Wisconsin games...we wouldn't be #3 either.
It's not abot devaluing the ACC, the ACC is a good conference. But not every team is good in the ACC and you can't go to OT or look like shit versus the average to below average teams.
And specifically with Clemson, it's one thing if it was just one game. But it's all the time with them.
October 16th, 2016 at 8:31 PM ^
Your point is well taken, Mr. Yost - but I don't think it's correct to say we 'struggled' against Wisconsin. We beat them at their own low scoring game. They are a very impressive team and put up tons of yards against some quality defenses (e.g. 339 vs. LSU and 450(!) vs. OSU).
Against Michigan, Wisconsin only had 159 total yards, and their win probability was over 50% for about 30 seconds in the entire game. We had 349 total yards and 11 minutes(!) more possession time.
Every Michigan fan catastrophizes the dreaded 7 point lead into a doomsday scenario (it's in our DNA), but there were only a few fleeting moments in the game when WIsconsin was really in a position to beat us.
Wisconsin's performance against Ohio only validates their quality. We have a whole lot in common with Wisconsin -- a great team with an inexperienced QB-- but Michigan is simply better.
October 16th, 2016 at 9:56 PM ^
After seeing Wisconsin go toe-to-toe with OSU and even outgain them, our game, which wasn't as close as the score would indicate and in which we doubled up their yardage and first downs, looks more impressive. Also, CU dominating a game against a 5-1 team helped us.
There are a lot of pretty good but not great teams in the ACC (UNC, NC State, Miami, FSU, VT maybe?) but Clemson should have lost this one at home and that's reason to give us a bump.
Doesn't really matter with those undefeated teams that all control their own destiny, anyway.
October 17th, 2016 at 12:12 PM ^
I'd add Louisville to the list of good but not great teams in the ACC. Louisville struggled to beat Duke at home this weekend. Yes, they beat FSU early in the season, but FSU isn't looking like the worldbeaters that the polls had projected them to be.
October 16th, 2016 at 1:29 PM ^
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October 16th, 2016 at 1:30 PM ^
They have had some really tough games there the past few years, so it's not totally outlandish to think that PSU can hang with them.
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October 16th, 2016 at 1:31 PM ^
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October 16th, 2016 at 1:39 PM ^
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October 16th, 2016 at 1:49 PM ^
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October 16th, 2016 at 3:48 PM ^
I'm sure OSU wins that game, but I don't think that they'll just walk all over PSU.
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October 16th, 2016 at 7:09 PM ^
Go Bucks; kill Penn State
This is my rallying cry for anyone who plays that team for the rest of my life.
October 16th, 2016 at 1:32 PM ^
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October 16th, 2016 at 1:43 PM ^
October 16th, 2016 at 2:05 PM ^
Maybe. I think that relies a bit too much on sheer W-L records. Navy would have at least 3 losses if they'd played Ole Miss' schedule and Ole Miss would have 0 or 1 losses if they'd played Navy's weak schedule. S&P+ has Ole Miss as #10. Tough schedule with games at Florida State, at Arkansas and vs Alabama. Most of those games were fairly close, I believe they led in the 2nd half in all 3 games so they're getting credit for who they played and how they played rather than the record. Winning matters but context does too.
October 16th, 2016 at 2:55 PM ^
More importantly Ole Miss would destroy Navy heads up.
October 16th, 2016 at 3:38 PM ^
A poll should put teams in order from best to worst at that specific point in time. It's not only about putting the best records in order.
Now you may think Navy should be ahead of Ole Miss...but using their record isn't a good reason. It should be because you think they're the better team and who they've beaten (and who they've lost to) on their schedule proves your point.
Wisconsin, Louisville, and Ole Miss have all showed me as much or more in losses than they have any wins on their schedule.
Doesn't mean any are great teams...but when the #2 and #3 teams in the country and rolling people and you go toe-to-toe with both and have a shot to win both games. That says more to me than beating a trash MSU team who EVERYONE is beating right now.
Wisconsin can play, they can hang, they're not as good as the elite teams because they haven't won those games, but clearly they're a solid team...but ass fucking Sparty on the road is only a very small part of how I'd form that opinion.
October 16th, 2016 at 7:22 PM ^
October 16th, 2016 at 7:47 PM ^
I think you take it all into account.
I'm not suggesting that if a team played the top 12 teams and lost them all by 1 point, they should be 0-12 ranked #13.
However, I don't think you just list teams in order of record or that it's an abomination if a 3-3 team is ranked either.
October 16th, 2016 at 2:09 PM ^
to be honest about it.
October 16th, 2016 at 10:12 PM ^
below Utah and above WMU. As lame as those teams have been this season, does anyone believe WMU could beat anyone in the SEC West (Auburn, Ole Miss and LSU ranked below them)?
October 18th, 2016 at 10:32 AM ^
Yes.
All three of those SEC West teams you listed are flawed teams that Western could hang with and possibly beat. Other than LSU playing this season at Lambeau vs. Wisky, though, you know none of them would leave the comforts of home for such a game.
October 16th, 2016 at 2:41 PM ^
Seriously, what is the deal with that? Are Ole Miss's bagmen now buying off voters? No 3-3 team should ever be ranked.
October 16th, 2016 at 3:41 PM ^
But a 3-3 team absolutely should be if they're better than everyone else behind them.
October 16th, 2016 at 4:37 PM ^
Arkansas and Florida State are both two-loss teams that are probably ranked too high. It would be one thing if Ole Miss had three losses to Top 5 teams (like Rutgers!) but they don't...they should not be ranked
October 16th, 2016 at 9:08 PM ^
As an added bit of intrigue, Sagarin has Ole Miss at #10. This is almost entirely to their strength and schedule and their point total to date. Same rankings have WMU at 18 and WVU at 26 (both undefeated).
October 17th, 2016 at 12:16 PM ^
I think the theory is that if the players are getting paid, they must be good.
October 16th, 2016 at 4:20 PM ^
"Unless they managed to trip up against PSU too."
We still have to beat them to control our own destiny.
October 16th, 2016 at 6:54 PM ^
October 16th, 2016 at 1:43 PM ^
If OSU were to lose twice before playing us, we could clinch the division before even playing them. That now looks extremely doubtful but if UW had won yesterday, that would have been a possibility. Weird things can happen in an individual game. Last year they lost at home to MSU playing without Connor Cook. A Cook-less MSU last year would have probably been about a 7-8 win team.
But now that they've survived Wisconsin, yeah, we're going to have to beat them.
October 16th, 2016 at 1:55 PM ^
she would be my uncle, lol
October 16th, 2016 at 2:16 PM ^
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October 16th, 2016 at 3:02 PM ^
calls yesterday in OSU's favor, it looks like the Big Ten wants them (and hopefully us too) undefeated going into The Game. It makes for even more publicity and hype for the conference.
October 16th, 2016 at 7:51 PM ^
October 16th, 2016 at 1:47 PM ^
I think there's an outside chance we make the playoff losing in columbus. However, in that scenario OSU would have to be undefeated.
October 16th, 2016 at 2:09 PM ^
October 16th, 2016 at 2:29 PM ^
Would've been almost as much of a 'gimmee' as the FG that NC State kicker missed. :(
October 16th, 2016 at 3:45 PM ^
October 16th, 2016 at 2:41 PM ^
It just takes one of the ACC or Pac12 cannibalizing itself. If Clemson had actually lost, it would have been a bit more likely. The Big12 is terrible and Houston blew their shot. That leaves Bama, OSU, one of ACC/Pac12 conference champions, and then a controversy.
October 16th, 2016 at 7:17 PM ^
It can happen if a 2 loss PAC 12 South Winner upsets Washington in the championship game in Santa Clara.
That would likely eliminate the Big 12 and the PAC 12. No group of 5 teams or ND can threaten this year.
October 17th, 2016 at 8:35 AM ^
Especially if that Pac 12 South winner were Colorado.
October 16th, 2016 at 10:17 PM ^
get upset in their CCG's, even in that scenario the committee would probably take an 11-1 Baylor or WVU before taking two B1G teams. A lot would have to go haywire for us to make hte playoff after losing to OSU and not participating in the B1GCCG.
October 16th, 2016 at 2:12 PM ^
I agree if we steamroll every team up to OSU. Then lose a close game .
I still say we are better than Louisville, or an unbeaten Clemson or Washington .
October 16th, 2016 at 2:49 PM ^
But in truth, looking at it from outside B1G,.. " if we steamroll every team up to OSU. Then lose a close game"
Who have we beaten of any merit? We may still need a Washington or Clemson loss.
Best scenario is we win out and then let That Team Down South worry about how THEY will get in! /s
October 16th, 2016 at 3:58 PM ^
Wisconsin. The same one of merit that Ohio State beat. Pay attention.
October 16th, 2016 at 4:59 PM ^
October 16th, 2016 at 7:47 PM ^
I might add. When I run the world, OT wins will count less.
October 17th, 2016 at 2:48 AM ^
October 16th, 2016 at 3:00 PM ^