Too-early Week 8 Top 25 Musings
October 15th, 2022 at 9:59 PM ^
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Tennessee
4. Clemson
5. Michigan
I say 75% that is the Top 5. If Clemson had won close we could have passed them, but they look really good and are obliterating FSU on the road.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:05 PM ^
How good is FSU though? Are they on the same level as Penn State?
October 15th, 2022 at 10:07 PM ^
No. But the burden of proof is on Michigan not Clemson because Clemson is ranked higher now.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:42 PM ^
Is it though?? I seem to remember last week Clemson leaping over us due to a win over a juggernaut 2-4 Boston College team, while we beat a similar if not better Indiana by essentially the same score.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:11 PM ^
Oh, FSU isn't particularly good but unless you're Michigan top teams don't get punished for beating mediocre teams by double digits.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:10 PM ^
Now after Clemson just kind of limped to the finish line I think there actually is a good chance Michigan jumps them.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:43 PM ^
If winning is a barometer after week 7, OSU should not be in top 5. They have played nobody. Clemson was moved up inexplicably last week because UM had a 3 TD win. That was a stupid move by the voters. Well, they should do the same this week as Clemson did not look that good against an awful FSU team.
October 16th, 2022 at 12:18 AM ^
The final score was 34-28
October 16th, 2022 at 12:29 AM ^
Clemson had won close we could have passed them,
They won 34-28. It was one week ago that the voters punished us for winning "only" by 21 against IU, so...
October 15th, 2022 at 10:05 PM ^
1. Michigan
2. Red Wings
3. USC
4. SEC
October 15th, 2022 at 10:08 PM ^
I had not considered that but I do see some merit there. America #5?
October 15th, 2022 at 10:19 PM ^
Don't look now but these Wings look good. Lots of size, speed, and two #1 goalies.
October 16th, 2022 at 12:34 AM ^
Husso/Nedeljcovic looked fantastic, offense/defense looks good and PK looks solid.
Worried about Bertuzzi though.
October 16th, 2022 at 2:55 PM ^
I'm thinking they have the depth in GR that short term the Wings will be okay. :fingers crossed:
Hirose and Smith are certainly serviceable at that spot. errr, I'd move Vrana to the Larkin line and put Hirose in next to Copp.
Plus with that #2 line is dripping with potential and in having a healthy Vrana to start the season.
Bert's production can be made up elsewhere on this roster. The Larkin line isn't going to have to carry the load this season. :)
October 15th, 2022 at 10:39 PM ^
Michigan Football /Michigan Hockey
Red Wings
USC
SEC
Illinois
October 15th, 2022 at 11:26 PM ^
I'm loving the Redwings so far, but they've also done it against teams unlikely to make the playoffs. Maybe LA on Monday will be a tougher test.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:42 PM ^
I think LA has lost to 2 non-playoff teams already so….
October 16th, 2022 at 6:43 PM ^
That's fair, but NJ is a lot like the Wings in being a team hoping to improve while Montreal will have a real shot at getting the #1 pick again, while LA is coming off of making the playoffs and may have a chance to do so again, early season results notwithstanding.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:11 PM ^
We'll see.
(I hadn't realized I was the Zen Master.)
October 15th, 2022 at 10:18 PM ^
Stop asking if we’ll pass Bama. They lost. They will drop. Not far, but they will drop.
Yes there is SEC bias, but it’s not THAT insane. That said, I bet we don’t move. Tennessee will jump us and Bama will drop below us (prob around 6-7). We might move back ahead of Clemson, but I wouldn’t bet much money on it.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:09 PM ^
I wish I could agree. But the manner in which they lost, and on the road in a crazy environment, and there are plenty of voters that will put them ahead of us.
October 16th, 2022 at 12:31 AM ^
They'll be the highest-ranked one-loss team, but they won't be ahead of us. If they had run roughshod over the rest of their schedule that would be one thing, but they've been scraping by this season.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:18 PM ^
This does not deserve its own thread but for God sakes there are way too many reviews in college football right now.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:23 PM ^
If anyone actually watches these games, we play more defense than Tennessee.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:27 PM ^
Very true. But could our defense stop Tennessee?
October 15th, 2022 at 10:46 PM ^
Would our defense even be on the field?
October 16th, 2022 at 12:31 AM ^
For about 15 minutes. I'd be curious if we could actually stop their offense in that 15 minutes though.
And we got jobbed playing Georgia last year. We would have had a much better matchup against the Alabama I just watched
October 16th, 2022 at 7:49 AM ^
Could Tennessee stop our offense
October 15th, 2022 at 10:24 PM ^
Meh. Keep winning and we will make it to the playoffs. Not much else matters. We won't be so far behind the media favorites that winning when 11-0 in Columbus won't get us there.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:27 PM ^
But, g-d forbid, they lose a close, well-played game in Columbus, it’ll matter.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:28 PM ^
I am seeing an outside shot of a 3 SEC team playoff, which could make even that uncomfortable if Clemson wins out.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:40 PM ^
Top 25 won't matter unless we lose to Ohio State (assuming we both win out until then). Then a one loss Bama has the advantage bc for some reason losing earlier in the season is an advantage in those situations -- and being Bama is also always an advantage in those situations. So Michigan probably gets left out, despite only having 1 loss, and it being to a top-2 team. But for now, just keep winning and worry about OSU.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:45 PM ^
Whole lot needs to go right before a one loss Michigan would even be in the playoff conversation right now. Things haven’t broke our way on that front.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:01 PM ^
I believe the final 4 will be
OSU
UM
2 of 3 (UGA, Bama, Tennessee)
I think the rest are incomplete teams and stumble somewhere.
Clemson's schedule is unfortunately a joke. But I smell a stumble somewhere.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:12 PM ^
I think if Clemson was going to stumble it would’ve happened by now. They already got by Wake, NC State, and FSU. Assuming they get by Syracuse at home next week, they’re in. There’s no one left on their schedule after that who can challenge them. They ain’t winning a title, but they’re good enough to go undefeated in a very weak ACC.
Normally playing on the road at ND would’ve been a saucy game, but after watching those chumps lose at home to a hapless Stanford team, Clemson should run roughshod over them.
October 16th, 2022 at 1:06 PM ^
Ah so the Notre Dame route! So crazy it just might work!
Seriously, Clemson should never have started the season so high.
October 16th, 2022 at 1:38 AM ^
How can the final 4 include both UM and OSU? That means the CFP is going to pick a one loss B1G school over a one/no loss SEC team or no loss ACC? Skeptical that ever happens.
October 16th, 2022 at 10:13 AM ^
There was an outside shot of it to begin the season but then Tennessee happened.
October 15th, 2022 at 10:59 PM ^
Georgia
OSU
Tennessee
Michigan
Clemson
Alabama
October 16th, 2022 at 1:09 AM ^
This would be my guess. With the SEC bias, maybe flip OSU and Tenn.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:04 PM ^
AP
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Tennessee
5. Michigan
6. Alabama
Coaches
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Tennessee
5. Alabama
6. Michigan
I think it'd be rubbish, but if that's what I'm prepared to see, then hopefully I can be pleasantly surprised. The polls don't ultimately matter. Just get better every day, and then on game days, win.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:16 PM ^
My own opinion, btw:
1. Michigan
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. UCLA
5. Clemson
6. Tennessee
7. USC (if they win)
8. TCU
9. Syracuse
10. Ole Miss
11. Alabama
You earn it with wins. You lose it with losses. Differentiation comes along the lines of being able to impose your will. No style points for running up the tally when you don't need to.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:05 PM ^
1) Georgia
2) OSU
3) Tennessee
4) Michigan
5) Clemson
6) Alabama
Beyond this will likely depend on the result of the USC game.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:10 PM ^
With Clemson ultimately only winning by 6, I think Michigan will jump them.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:18 PM ^
Also, Florida State outgained Clemson 460 yards to 370 yards.
October 16th, 2022 at 7:54 AM ^
I'm with you, plus the way Michigan dominate Penn State
October 15th, 2022 at 11:11 PM ^
Clemson barely beats an unranked team; I don't especially care and it doesn't really matter, but they should not be ahead of us after this week.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:26 PM ^
They should not have jumped UM last week.
October 15th, 2022 at 11:12 PM ^
No way TN passes UM. Bama put 49 on TN, at TN. TN had to win with a last-play FG.
#1GA
#2OSU
#3Michigan
#4Clemson
#5Tennessee
#6USC
#7Bama