CFB - It's time we talk about the reality of both OSU and UM in
Nothing I want more than to beat the Bucks next weekend, ruing their playoff chances, and win the B1G.
That said, with the UT loss, the reality of just 1 SEC team in the playoff has become much more realistic. Crazy enough, and I hate to say it, there is actually a path for Bama to get in here as a 2 loss SEC team.
I could easily see USC, TCU or both losing a game going forward.
If UGA beats LSU, we're looking at 3 spots left for
UM, OSU, Pac12 champion, Big 12 champion, Clemson.
Things are getting nutty. Today's win may end up being more important than we could have ever expected.
November 19th, 2022 at 10:57 PM ^
We root for TCU and USC. Beat OSU and then those 2 teams win out and it’s
1. GA
2. M
3. TCU
4. USC
November 19th, 2022 at 11:16 PM ^
That would be the ideal draw for UM in my opinion. Get to prepare for TCU and UGA will have a month to prepare for USC. Only a week to prepare for us assuming we win.
November 20th, 2022 at 8:57 AM ^
Win the game and then beat Ohio again in the championship game. This is the best scenario. Ohio would have get in as a 4 and upset GA.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:19 AM ^
No, we want USC to lose.
November 20th, 2022 at 4:52 AM ^
Same prediction as mine.
Clemson loses to South Carolina and/or North Carolina.
USC trounces ND and UW/Oregon in title game.
TCU beats Kansas then Kansas State in title game.
GA bops LSU for SEC title.
You will notice two Big Ten team in the final four.
We beat TCU and
Upset Alert! - USC takes down GA.
Championship Game is repeat of first Rose Bowl -
with the same winner,
November 20th, 2022 at 7:11 AM ^
First Rose Bowl: Michigan 49, Stanford 0
November 20th, 2022 at 8:38 AM ^
Sorry, k.o.k. A football historian you are not.
November 20th, 2022 at 8:44 AM ^
TCU plays Iowa State
November 20th, 2022 at 9:34 AM ^
I can't figure out USC. Their offense looks invincible. Their D looks invisible. Is their O an artifact of the horrible PAC12? As a UM fan, and remembering Donovan McNabb, Troy Smith, Dennis Dixon, and so many others, QB's that run around and throw dimes are terrifying. I'd hate to give USC 5 weeks to prepare for our D. But, they can't run the ball that well, and, against Georgia, I think they'd look a lot like Tennessee did, overmatched. Thus, go TCU, go Blue.
November 19th, 2022 at 10:59 PM ^
Losing The Game, then losing a rematch in the CFP might break either fanbase for a decade. No thank you. If we lose, I would rather go win a Rose Bowl. If we win, I'd be pissed if we have to play them again.
November 19th, 2022 at 11:20 PM ^
This x1000. The psychic damage of 2018 alone took this program and fanbase 3 years to get over –– could you imagine losing to them twice? Or even if we win in Columbus, losing in the national championship game? They would hold either of those over our head forever.
Even if we lost to them, made the playoffs, and won the national championship without beating them again –– that wouldn't feel legitimate to me.
Can totally understand if others feel differently since I'm an old school "beat them, win the big ten, and everything else is gravy" kind of person but I only ever want this game to be a de-facto playoff/Big Ten championship game and to only ever have it played once a year. Anything more than that is just too dangerous and potentially devastating to happen.
November 19th, 2022 at 11:28 PM ^
I disagree only with one point, and that's losing to OSU and then winning the CFP. That would be fine, and if I could sign up for that right now I would. Other than that, this whole situation seems set up for maximum pain.
November 20th, 2022 at 8:23 AM ^
You are objectively incorrect. It's better to go 1-11 and beat ohio than any scenario that involves losing to ohio.
November 20th, 2022 at 8:46 AM ^
Make sure you’re never calling for a coach to be fired prior to the OSU game then, unless you’re calling for Harbaugh to be fired this year if he loses in Columbus
November 20th, 2022 at 2:17 AM ^
You alluded to this but It would be worse to win in Columbus and then have to play them again. It's very hard to beat ANYONE twice in a season, let alone a team with a pulse.
November 19th, 2022 at 11:21 PM ^
Yeah but if we win and win again I like that idea of 'breaking them for a decade'
November 19th, 2022 at 11:34 PM ^
I would too but beating any team twice is incredibly difficult, let alone one as talented and obsessed as OSU would be in a rematch.
And honestly I think with all things considered, just beating them in Columbus next week in a similar fashion to last year would be enough to wreck them for a few years.
November 20th, 2022 at 8:53 AM ^
Yes, obviously, but I would not physically live to see the end of the second game so that factors into my calculus.
November 20th, 2022 at 12:01 AM ^
Honestly just beat OSU in their house and if we win other games after it's just the icing on the cake.
I truly wonder if today's game hasn't actually been a blessing and really prepared us for next week. I do NOT think OSU's D line is as good as what we got today from Illinois. They have been darn good this year (Illinois) and they really brought it to us today and have a good air game and good RB as well to test our D. We played a good team today and got it done. Maybe not perfectly but the more I think about today's game the more I feel the way it ended and the way we had to fight was exactly what we might have needed. Our WR's still of course need to catch those balls that hit them in the hands and if we get everyone we can back and healthy next week we for sure can get it done.
November 20th, 2022 at 12:29 AM ^
Yes, it is a positive because it shows that teams can stop our running game and that our passing game is not ready to respond accordingly.
Michigan was starting to get too self-satisfied with their running game, believing they were just going to line up and pave everybody. It is clear that was more a function of playing some pretty bad Big Ten and OOC teams.
We are under no illusions now. The passing game is going to need to be an equal part of the offense to beat Ohio State. Better to fully realize that a week before the Ohio State game than during the middle of it.
November 20th, 2022 at 12:57 AM ^
Eh, Corum still had over 100 yards before going out. Not convinced UM doesn't have their way more with Illinois in the running game in the second half if they weren't down two RB's on top of not being at full strength on the o-line already.
November 20th, 2022 at 10:00 AM ^
And missing our (two) best TE's hurts the running game a lot. Even if it's functionally just Schoonmaker, since All has been out most of the season. People want everything to be black and white, but it isn't.
November 20th, 2022 at 1:01 AM ^
Have you actually watched OSU defense. They are better than last year and t hey blitz scheme will be difficult to block
November 20th, 2022 at 1:18 AM ^
The defense that Penn State and Maryland diced up?
November 20th, 2022 at 1:24 AM ^
... with their competent passing attack.
November 20th, 2022 at 2:05 AM ^
Looking forward to the breakdown of the OSU defense this week.
Knowles' defense is a cover 0 and sometimes they shift to cover 1 or cover 3. But their base defense has no safeties and they will play man on our receivers. So depending on our formation they could have more bodies in the box, 8 man fronts. From there they will blitz and we won't know who is coming until they're on the way. It is a higher risk defense that will concede some big plays and some pass interference calls but they're gambling that they will make more big plays consistently in our backfield, getting us behind the chains. They are gambling that their players, their cover guys who practice covering OSU receivers all year, will be able to cover our receivers. And that JJ won't be able to hit them downfield.
The $400,000,000 question is how their defense will hold up against our rushing attack.
I believe it's going to be quite the chess match.
November 20th, 2022 at 8:56 AM ^
I am sure they will scheme up some blitzes that are confusing but acting like we won’t know where their blitzes are coming every time is a bit delusional. The same can also be said about us that we have been preparing for this game since the summer. I am sure both teams will have some wrinkles.
November 20th, 2022 at 8:04 AM ^
The defense that NW ran for +200 yards against?
November 20th, 2022 at 12:29 AM ^
Unless Georgia loses to LSU, I don't see a way that a rematch would happen in the semis, so this scenario would require us to meet again in the national championship, which seems pretty unlikely.
In any event, after the Big Ten gets rid of divisions and the playoff expands, the possibility of playing them 2 or even 3 times a season becomes very plausible. Both programs/fanbases need to psychologically prepare for losing multiple times in a season.
November 20th, 2022 at 8:36 AM ^
Yes. UM just have to get better at beating them consistently. Shying away from that challenge is not the way to bring the program back to where it should be. We have the right man to do it. Go Blue!
November 20th, 2022 at 9:24 AM ^
Thank you for bringing sanity to the discussion.
November 20th, 2022 at 8:16 AM ^
What happens to this reasoning when they expand the CFP?
November 20th, 2022 at 11:34 AM ^
No coach or player on either team shares this perspective. I don't either, bring it on.
See Bama/Georgia 2021.
November 19th, 2022 at 10:59 PM ^
Won’t matter given JJ is cursed and our wide receivers wouldn’t be on the 3-deep on a DIII team.
Signed/ 67% of the game thread.
November 19th, 2022 at 11:29 PM ^
So cursed that he is 11-0
November 20th, 2022 at 12:04 AM ^
Am I the only one that saw this post as sarcasm based on his last sentence? Did the post get edited or is this board turning into neg happy clowns too incompetant to process what's in front of them?
Edit: For context since the tide has turned, when I originally typed this Mattinboots' post was at -14.
November 20th, 2022 at 7:47 AM ^
“neg happy clowns too incompetant”
November 20th, 2022 at 12:06 AM ^
I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm.
November 20th, 2022 at 7:47 AM ^
Correct.
November 19th, 2022 at 11:00 PM ^
Beat the fucking Buckeyes!!!
Go Blue!!!
November 20th, 2022 at 12:03 AM ^
Honestly do that back to back years and I am good. Would love more but man .... I would be super happy with that.
November 19th, 2022 at 11:00 PM ^
Will be nice for penn state to beat little sparty to eliminate their bowl eligibility and secure us a nice top 10 win. Beating ohio in Columbus would be absolutely wonderful.
November 19th, 2022 at 11:01 PM ^
Did you see Tennessee and Ole Miss get crushed by South Carolina and Arkansas?? Man the SEC is so deep a win there is worth like two normal wins. Playoffz shuld b UGA, Bama, LSU, Tennessee
November 19th, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^
you're leaving out a really quality Arkansas team. Maybe they are a +1?
November 20th, 2022 at 2:56 AM ^
Good point -- a close quality loss vs Liberty should get the committee's attention
November 20th, 2022 at 12:01 AM ^
Our boy Klatt on Fox on USC v UCLA was roasting the SEC for the cream puffs they were playing today while most other teams had to play real competition.
Gus “I’m keeping my options open” deferred started laughing and stated he was keeping his mouth shut.
LOL
November 20th, 2022 at 1:26 AM ^
And a loss is like one normal win.
November 19th, 2022 at 11:05 PM ^
Remember the Clemson fans talking about their big wins? NC State lost again. North Carolina lost. Syracuse has been awful. The ACC sucks.
November 19th, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^
They haven't played UNC yet. Prior to today, only ND had beaten Clemson and UNC.
#trACChe
November 19th, 2022 at 11:44 PM ^
Yeah, it makes the ACC look even worse.