Michigan Ranked #21 Coaches #22 AP
http://www.cbssports.com/#!/collegefootball/rankings
EDIT: That school in ohio drops out of all polls. While state falls out of the AP and drops to 23 in the coaches.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:00 PM ^
now we'll come up on the Top25 ESPN scroll, vs having to wait for the B1G
September 18th, 2011 at 2:25 PM ^
That and Yahoo front pages. Hopefully for the rest of the season.
September 19th, 2011 at 2:20 AM ^
they are neat, and functional to display whatever webpage you want with just a click of a button, you can even set a page to veiw the score of the big ten games that you wont see in the top 25 front pages, like MSU and OSU. Just saying.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:04 PM ^
I hate that we have to do this every year. One good thing about the BCS, their rankings don't start til after 6 games.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:05 PM ^
September 18th, 2011 at 1:06 PM ^
Boy, the voters put a lot of stock in a win against EMU... I wish Michigan could have flown under the radar a little longer. Next week is a definitive trap week and they don't need a ranking to fuel or further incentivize a San Diego St victory.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^
Nope. The voters put a lot stock into the losses of teams ahead of us.
September 18th, 2011 at 7:49 PM ^
Rankings are about the relative strength of teams to one another. As such, I think our biggest rankings win was MSU's loss, especially since the Irish traditionally have some favoritism with this sort of thing.
With an Illinois win over ASU and Clemson over Auburn, however, I'm not so confident in our ranking being this high. I saw USC look abominable against Minnesota (ytminnesota), and I know jack about GaTech this year. I'd say we're more 24-25, though the difference between 21 and 24 probably isn't all that big.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:09 PM ^
I think stealing their coach was motivation enough.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^
No way Coach Hoke lets this be a trap week. I think he wants to win this game almost as much as he wants to wants to say "tremendous" 10 times in a press conference.
September 18th, 2011 at 3:05 PM ^
This thinking is not the Michigan way. This is exactly the kind of mentality that Hoke and Co. are trying to purge from this program. "Fly under the radar a little longer" so an unraked SDSU team is not "motivated" for a game in the Big House? Bo just turned over in his grave. I'm sorry, I don't mean to call anybody out personally, but as a lifelong fan and alumnus it sickens me that our program has sunk to this type of low. ANY team coming to the Big House should be motivated as all hell and we should be wearing a great big bulls eye on our chests that reads "We ARE Michigan...COME GET SOME"!!! Thank God Hoke and Mattison are righting this ship.
September 18th, 2011 at 3:32 PM ^
You sound arrogant and entitled. The reality is we're not very good at the moment and we could have said the same thing last season after 3 games. Let's wait and see how this team performs in the Big Ten before we claim the ship is being righted...
September 18th, 2011 at 3:46 PM ^
like a MIchigan Man should. Not arrogant. Not entilted. I am simply stating we need the mentality that we expect to be amongst the best and if you're coming to our house you better know who you are playing!
You think it is Michigan-like to whine about being ranked because we're playing San Diego St. next week and would rather be under the radar? San Diego St!!!! It's disgusting.
September 18th, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^
So you're saying the team should be confident?
Because if not, theeeeeeeeen, I'm pretty sure you mean entilted and/or arrogant.
September 18th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^
The point is, we haven't beat anyone of real consequence yet (remains to be seen about ND), so a top 25 ranking, in my opinion is undeserved, and if it puts unnecessary pressure on the team, then I'd rather not have it until we win at NW with a healthy-ish + Persa. I think the last two years UM has been ranked top 25 before defeating anyone of consequence and then the season played out, well I needn't remind anyone.
September 18th, 2011 at 4:43 PM ^
But are there really 25 teams out there that have beaten an opponent of consequence (and haven't lost a game themselves)?
Anyway, I agree with the above poster - the idea that we should try to "fly under the radar" as long as we can is not dignified of an elite program. The players are going to have to deal with heightened expectations eventually. It may as well be now.
September 18th, 2011 at 6:03 PM ^
That's a fair point, you're right.
September 18th, 2011 at 6:47 PM ^
Uconn played in a BCS game last year and ND won the Sun Bowl so I wouldn't say we beat the little sisters of the poor the 1st 2 games.
September 18th, 2011 at 6:18 PM ^
"Michigan arrogance" has been replaced with whining and negativity.
Less "We ARE Michigan!" and more "we aaaarrre... Michigan?".
I think for many it's a defense mechanism. For others it's some kind of pseudo-intellectualism. The latter is far more annoying IMO... It's a game and you're supposed to be a fan.
September 18th, 2011 at 5:40 PM ^
Thank you, good sir.
As you stated, this is exactly what Hoke is trying to do when he makes the statement "This is Michigan." in press conferences. He is simply re-affirming in the minds of the fans, and more importantly, the players that UM is an elite program. Expectations are, and always will be, to win championships and compete at the highest level.
Btw, I have incorporated your line, "We ARE Michigan..." into my signature, I hope you don't mind the theft. Please take it as an homage to your perfect encapsulation of what UM football is all about.
September 18th, 2011 at 8:36 PM ^
How far we have fallen. The day will come when visiting teams do not look forward to playing Michigan, at home or away.
September 18th, 2011 at 6:41 PM ^
I kind of think SDSU would be up to play UM regardless of their rankings, and Hoke will have them ready. The notion of a "trap" game is the Horror; playing a bowl team with a high-powered offense that everyone knows about really won't surprise anybody. I fully expect the team to be ready, and for them to pull out a nice win.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:07 PM ^
We are ranked because... Why?
September 18th, 2011 at 1:09 PM ^
Because someone has to be. You don't have to be fantastic to be ranked. At the season's end, the #20-#25 teams will be about 8-4. We are probably around that trajectory.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:10 PM ^
we are 3-0 and one of the 4 remaining undefeated big ten teams
September 18th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
September 18th, 2011 at 1:36 PM ^
If you're talking about the WMU game, it counts as a win.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:16 PM ^
This is Michigan. Fergodsakes.
September 18th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^
the voters apparently did not watch the first half. .
Go Blue!
September 18th, 2011 at 2:46 PM ^
I would be surprised if they saw any of it.
September 18th, 2011 at 4:26 PM ^
"Ohio and Sparty your fucking out, Michigan and Illinois your fucking in."
I'm still not sure how they get away with language like that at the AP.
September 18th, 2011 at 4:29 PM ^
as sloppy as some of our play was I still think we're better than some of the teams they ranked over us. Sit down South Florida, Baylor, Virginia Tech, Clemson, and South Carolina.
September 18th, 2011 at 5:30 PM ^
Sammy Watkins looked impressive for clemson.. too bad we didn't get him
September 18th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^
Yes, BCS doesn't start up to week 6 but every win from now on only helps our chances to reach a potential BCS berth.
Whoever disagrees doesn't know what he is talking about.
Our 3 most crucial games remain MSU, OSU and Nebraska. If we win 2 of these 3 we should be playing in a BCS bowl game.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^
OSU drops out of both polls. Sparty drops out of the AP and is #23 in the coaches' poll. Illinois enters the AP at #24 but is not ranked in the coaches.
September 18th, 2011 at 7:43 PM ^
I think Illinois is going to turn out to be a major competitor this year. Scheelhaase is a talented quarterback and I think they will continue to win. I think they should be ranked in the Coaches'.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^
September 18th, 2011 at 1:41 PM ^
Seriously, head over and pick out the teams in the others receiving votes and make a case for why they're so special. I don't understand why everyone tries to give UM no credit for pulling out a miracle against ND. The first three quarters were very sloppy, but Michigan still found a way to win.
This team definitely has the roster to go at least 5-4 the rest of the way, especially considering how down the B1G looks this year and without Wisconsin on the schedule. An 8-4 Legends division contender is probably a fringe top 25 team and that's right where we're ranked.
September 18th, 2011 at 7:08 PM ^
You shouldn't be ranked on miracles. How often are we going to perform them a la Notre Dame 2011?
September 18th, 2011 at 7:56 PM ^
At least once a year. Notre Dame 2009, Notre Dame 2010, Wisconsin 2008, need I go on?
September 18th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^
And a team like Texas is? Seriously, they go 5-7 last year but get ranked this year because "of all the talent that their recruiting classes get". What makes their team better than ours? Beating Rice and UCLA? THe voters are going to be cautious on us, unless we start blowing teams out we won't see a significant jump until after the MSU game, otherwise we'll hang around 20-25
September 18th, 2011 at 8:04 PM ^
Actually we are a top 25 team. The question is whether we are one of the 25 best teams. Rankings are like predicted fantasy points so we can run the game through our heads all week. Fun, but worth nothing on the field.
September 18th, 2011 at 1:13 PM ^
Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before...
Brand name? Check.
Thrilling win over notre dame? Check.
3-0 record record? Check.
Arguable the most exciting player in college football in Denard? Check.
Premature (imo) ranking? Check.
But I can see why, with so many other teams going down in flames this weekend (especially msu and osu, who were both crushed).
September 18th, 2011 at 1:29 PM ^
Nice...
I really can't fathom how Michigan would be ranked higher than Illinois. We beat a good, scrappy EMU. Illinois beat a good, scrappy, ranked ASU.
September 18th, 2011 at 2:18 PM ^
when the coaches let him play. The first quarter they put a ball and chain around his ankle called "manball". It was very effectice at slowing Denard and the team down against an inferior opponent to the turn of just over 30 yards of offense. At the start of the second quarter the coaches must have decided they didn't really want to be in a dog fight with Eastern and they let the O play.
September 18th, 2011 at 2:28 PM ^
Several people have made this argument, but I don't know what it's based on. I don't think a re-watching of the game will bear this out. We ran a ton of plays out of the shotgun right off the bat.
September 18th, 2011 at 5:03 PM ^
since the defense decided to let EMU run around their first two series, the Michigan offense only had I believe two offensive series, and they were pretty unproductive. So I agree that a "ton" of plays out of shotgun (interesting measurement that reflects the count of plays, I thought ton was for weight, whatever), but not in the first quarter, and it was a pretty dramatic shift into success on that 3rd offensive series. I don't know maybe it was the fourth, but when Michigan started on the 3 yard line after the interception, the first play was a run option, Denard keeper for 52 yards. And pretty much after that all we saw was shotgun, either QB run, or Run option. And two scores were QB Oh Noes, which is Brian's favorite Denard play off of the Shotgun run option/QB run formation. Certainly no one has done their own UFR or other systematic counting of plays yet, but I'm pretty sure that the bulk of successful running was from Vincent Smith and Denard running the read option, with most of the successful passing being off of that system. This game was the most Rodriguez Offense game I've seen this year. All of Denard's long ball arcs fell off target and thankfully incomplete. And Denard's lone interception pass came from a picket throw that was behind the receiver.
Manball was not very successful against EMU. I think this will be proven upon further review.
September 18th, 2011 at 6:17 PM ^
but he needs to complete a few passes before you can say it is all the fault of the formation. He has consistently missed available receivers when playing both from under center and from shotgun.
You can't blame all of his inaccuracy on being under center.
September 18th, 2011 at 2:28 PM ^
Still, I would rather him do that against Eastern. I cringed literally every time he took a hit, especially at the LOS. I'm not usually one to second guess coaching decisions but I have no idea what they were thinking running QB keepers against EMU in the fourth with a multiple touchdown lead.
September 18th, 2011 at 3:07 PM ^
Mattison....check!
GERG....gone!
GO BLUE!!!