M Projected 4th in B1G East by Writers

Submitted by pz on

I would be surprised if this were the outcome, but M, MSU & PSU are in a virtual dead heat at 2-4. Predictably, OSU / Wisconsin are substantial favorites to win their divisions.

The only non-OSU or Wisconsin title winner vote went to MSU which suggests to me that there is someone who needs to be removed from the poll. That voter probably makes the difference between the 2-4 B1G East rankings as well.

Interested to hear folks' point of view on this...

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/big-ten/2018/07/20/ohio-state-favored-online-big-ten-preseason-poll/807484002/

bronxblue

July 20th, 2018 at 9:40 PM ^

Not really.  Most of these polls predict Michigan will finish in the top-3/4, which is literally the bare minimum any human being who knows anything about sports can tell you.  And they are remarkably wrong about a lot of things, such as predicting MSU to be 3rd and PSU 4th in 2016, for example.

Michigan is likely to finish anywhere between 1st and 4th in their division.  Anyone claiming otherwise is either an idiot or a troll.

UMxWolverines

July 20th, 2018 at 6:06 PM ^

What's stupid about that prediction? All three of the teams predicted to be ahead of us including MSU have gone to a big ten title game in the last three years while we have proved nothing. 

UMxWolverines

July 20th, 2018 at 10:51 PM ^

When a team has actually acheieved the ultimate goal of making it to Indy it usually results in them having a better chance of making it again because they know what they have to do to prepare for it again...pretty easy to understand.  Obviously MSU has experience as they've gotten there 3 times already. 

 

JonathanE

July 21st, 2018 at 11:21 AM ^

That might make some sort of sense if State were still playing in the Legends Division as they were on two of those trips and they could schedule 4 out of conference games. Even in the 2015 season there were 4 out of conference games. The 2015 season will not have any relevance to what happens in the 2018 season. 

OurYear2018GB

July 20th, 2018 at 6:21 PM ^

I mean they are on the verge of going to Indy for the 4th time in 8 seasons so yea I mean, not that ridiculous. 

Who cares though, the difference between 2-4 is negligible. 

MarcusRay97

July 20th, 2018 at 6:22 PM ^

Well untill the offense can catch up to the defense then we will be floating around 3-4

goblue16

July 20th, 2018 at 6:23 PM ^

It’s put up or shut up. I’ve been harsh on Harbaugh but it’s a new season and nothin else matters now. Beat OSU and MSU and all the negative Nancy’s better shut the fuck up. Lose to both then harbaugh can fuck off. Split and things get interesting it will come down to winning the division in that case. I have full faith he WILL beat both. Stakes are very high this season and I love it. GO BLUE!

WolvinLA2

July 20th, 2018 at 6:32 PM ^

I'll bite.  Let's say we lose to both.  Who do you want to hire (that we can hire) who will be better than Harbaugh?  We need a coach.  Firing only makes sense if you think there is someone available who can do better.  I don't see where we hire someone better than Jim Harbaugh.

UMxWolverines

July 20th, 2018 at 7:22 PM ^

I mean, I really don't expect us to get to Indy this year just because of how hard the schedule is, but I mean he has to at least beat one of two and someday we have to do better than third place, otherwise you pretty much admit Michigan is no more than an 8-10 win program just like the 2000s and that's the ceiling. And that's not going to win you a big ten title these days as there's no shared titles like back then. If we don't reach Indianapolis by next year it would most definitely be a failure given the hype and credentials of Harbaugh coming here. 

WeimyWoodson

July 20th, 2018 at 9:39 PM ^

If they can't do it this year with a team that could potentially lose as many players to the NFL (at least on defense) as 2016 then its a failure for sure.  There shouldn't be any more excuses to not making it to the B10 title game.  Upperclassman of Gary, Bush, Hudson, Long, Hill, Kinnel, Chase, plus others should be plenty.  

If you can win with these guys then when will it ever happen?

outsidethebox

July 21st, 2018 at 7:06 AM ^

There are fans from at least 4 other schools in the conference who are saying the same thing...more or less. The only sane assessment here is that partisan fans are idiots. Please quit living your lives vicariously through a bunch of 20 year old young men who you do not know. Watch these kids compete, enjoy and appreciate their effort and let the chips fall where they may. Jim Harbaugh has this Michigan program on an excellent track. He's doing his job...pleasing the partisans is a very small fraction of what "doing the job well" is all about.

I hope they go undefeated and win the NC...the world will truly not end if they do not.

Durham Blue

July 21st, 2018 at 11:54 AM ^

Very true.  We have a ton of NFL caliber athletes on this year's team.  We know the offense will be the weak link again but great coaches always, at least partially, fix the problems from one year to the next.  Harbaugh is a great coach and I would be surprised if we have another sub-mediocre offense this season.  My faith in Harbaugh says we finish better than 4th.  When Patterson was granted eligibility for this season I predicted that we'll win the B1G.  No excuses.  The team has to perform and start flexing its muscles.

The Man Down T…

July 21st, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^

Our weak links have been patched/fixed.  Our receivers are getting good coaching from McElwain They will be much improved.  Say what you want about his tenure at Florida, he's a good offensive coach.  Our line has one of the best offensive line coaches around who helped Ohio State win a title.  Our QB's are already markedly better than last year.  Even Peters will be better than last year.  And Shea has been on campus since spring.  The timing issues that hampered Rudock early on should not be there.  We have no excuses.  Hard schedules happen.  You have to win them.  And you definitely have to start beating the rivals as much or more than they beat you.  

wolverine1987

July 21st, 2018 at 8:35 AM ^

When we thought Harbaugh was getting close to being hired I like everyone was happy. Not because I thought we were going to win NC's, but because I thought it would put us back in a consistent top 10/top 20 status, which to me is elite. If last year is an anomaly and we will 10-11 games every year, I will take that and run and be pleased for M football. I've seen the opposite and never want to be there again.

Chalky White

July 21st, 2018 at 10:11 AM ^

I remember the old days when a hard schedule was actually a good thing. What happens if Patterson is good but not great but still leaves for the NFL? We get two more years of excuses because Milton will then be the starter and the defense will be replacing key positions? At some point you have to win.

goblue16

July 20th, 2018 at 7:22 PM ^

I just said he can fuck off I didn’t say fire him. If he started 0-4 and 1-3 against MSU and osu than he is in fact overrated. I don’t know why people assume that he won at Stanford and the 49ers therefore he can do it at Michigan too. Maybe he’s....gasp... just not a good fit. 

Stringer Bell

July 20th, 2018 at 9:04 PM ^

Do you really think he's not a good fit?  Do you really think it's easier for him to build up downtrodden Stanford into a powerhouse while competing with Pete Carroll's USC and Chip Kelly's Oregon or to win with perennially mediocre San Francisco at the sport's most competitive level than it is for him to win at Michigan?  Get real

shags

July 20th, 2018 at 9:28 PM ^

That's why you can make the argument Michigan is in the worst spot of any program in the country.  Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh to be their Urban Meyer, to be their Nick Saban.

And he's not.  It's pretty obvious.  And there's no one else they can hire.  They're in an awful spot right now.

 

4th phase

July 21st, 2018 at 2:37 PM ^

So you're conflating his salary with wins and then making a remark about business...

If you really want to talk about what makes "business sense" it would be asking the question: Did hiring Harbaugh at a large salary increase the athletic departments profit? And the answer seems to point to yes.

This argument about Harbaugh's salary, and why people are so offended by it makes no sense to me.  

moetown91

July 21st, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^

This is the best post in this entire thread.  Anyone who thinks we should be rated or predicted higher is fooling themselves.  Yes, I'm extremely optimistic, but lets see it on the field when it matters, and more importantly against WHO it matters.  Let it play out and hopefully this media prediction serves as proper motivation.....and not like they needed any more......

Go blue!  I can't wait for the season to start....

evenyoubrutus

July 20th, 2018 at 6:27 PM ^

Given Michigan's defense and presumed (even mild) improvement on offense, they should almost certainly finish higher than 4th. However, I can understand why it would be so hard to rank them ahead of any of those teams, considering the title wave of anti Harbaugh sentiment on the national level.

Indy Pete - Go Blue

July 20th, 2018 at 6:29 PM ^

Good,  this team and program could use some extra motivation.  All of this stuff is meaningless, unless you can use it to motivate your squad saying that nobody respects you.   I am looking forward to the end of the year when we are on top of those standings.