Tonight's Rooting Guide - Bubble Edition
Hi all! Well, I decided that since Michigan appears to be somewhat on the bubble and people really seemed to enjoy these last season, that I'd start putting together rooting guides over the next few weeks.
Lots of big bubble games tonight! Obviously we have our game tonight and the men in Maize and Blue need to win to continue to move up the seed line but, according to Joe Lunardi, there are 10 teams on the bubble, that are ahead of us who are playing tonight. Here’s a rooting guide for tonight:
- Creighton vs. Seton Hall (6:30pm ET on FS1) – We’re big Blue jay fans tonight
- Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (7pm on ACC Network) – We’re rooting for BC here.
- Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State (8pm on Big 12 Network/ESPN+) – Okie State is one of the hottest teams in college ball right now but they’re also only .500 in league play. A loss to Texas Tech would hurt them here.
- Penn State vs. Wisconsin (8:30pm on BTN) – This is an interesting one. We already have a win over PSU but we also have 2 games against Wisconsin coming up. I’m tempted to root for PSU here, to keep our win and loss as good as possible but either way, this game is a win for us because someone loses.
- Florida vs. Alabama (9pm on ESPN) – This is a big one for tonight. Florida is running out of chances for another marquee win. We need the Crimson Tide tonight
- Baylor vs. Oklahoma (9pm on ESPNU) – Oklahoma is just 1 game over .500 but has some good wins, we want the Bears in this one.
- LSU vs. Mississippi State (9pm on SEC Network) – The Bulldogs are a team that is creeping up but they’re also 3-7 in SEC play. A loss to LSU would likely end their chances, outside of an SEC tournament championship.
- SDSU vs. Utah State (10pm on CBS Sports Network) – The Mountain West is likely to get a few bids this year but we want to limit to them as few as possible for us to sneak in. We’re rooting for SDSU in this one.
Hope this is helpful! Go Blue!
February 8th, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
VERY helpful, but I honestly don't know whether Creighton or Seton Hall are the Blue Jays.
(Just looked it up - I'm good now.)
February 8th, 2023 at 3:34 PM ^
So who are the blue jays?
February 8th, 2023 at 3:44 PM ^
Could it be ... Creighton?
February 8th, 2023 at 3:46 PM ^
BTW fun fact the Philadelphia Phillies tried to change their nickname to the Blue Jays in the 1940s but the name didn't stick
February 8th, 2023 at 3:56 PM ^
Toronto, of course.
February 8th, 2023 at 4:19 PM ^
All of us old timers know Seton Hall is the Pirates! 1989 was so sweet!
February 8th, 2023 at 5:32 PM ^
I hate to admit that I saw Bill Raftery coach at Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden as a kid. His teams were terrible. He's much better on TV.
And I can still recall most of the details of the night Michigan won its last national championship in 1989.
February 8th, 2023 at 6:13 PM ^
Last, and only, unfortunately.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:48 PM ^
Thankfully we got that one, because the four straight National Championship game losses that followed it would have been unbearable.
February 8th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^
We're so far from the bubble, the bubble is a dot to us. I think we need to win 4 out of the next 5 to feel like we have a decent chance the rest of the way. If that happens, I'll start paying more attention to what is going on around us. But I appreciate the effort and wish I felt differently.
February 8th, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
Concur. Michigan needs to win the next two games before what anybody else is doing really matter. Next three would be huge and I think they would be Last Four In then.
February 8th, 2023 at 4:11 PM ^
Agree 💯 We have won two games against weaker Big 10 completion. The schedule gets rough. I want to believe we have righted wrongs and are on a good path. We have heard this a couple times now this season. Go Blue and beat Nebraska!! One at a time. Too soon for rooting guides at this point. Makes for a good post however on a slow day.
February 8th, 2023 at 4:25 PM ^
We have won two games against weaker Big 10 completion.
Northwestern's actually projected to make the tournament by nearly everyone. OSU isn't, but all the advanced metrics love them for some reason (they're #34 on KenPom, #40 NET and #45 Torvik).
February 8th, 2023 at 2:48 PM ^
Co-signed.
To me this is kinda like posting "Investment tips and market strategies for when you hit the Power Ball jackpot"
But hey, thanks for the effort OP. You're doing the Lord's work here son.
February 8th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
We're not necessarily that far away. Things change fast in this sport, with teams playing 2-3 games per week. If we can go 2-0 this week we'll move up several slots.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:17 PM ^
Not really! It’s not about wins…but who you beat! Beating OSU & Nebraska doesn’t really boost our resume much.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:38 PM ^
I wasn't thinking about OSU (although I guess we did play them this week too) but Nebraska/Indiana. The game Saturday is huge.
February 8th, 2023 at 9:02 PM ^
Exactly, beat IU and they're right in the thick of things
February 8th, 2023 at 11:04 PM ^
If our chances to make the tournament solely relied upon our own game outcomes, then yes, beating OSU and Nebraska wouldn’t matter much. Beating those two teams and watching a bunch of other bubble teams lose would mean beating two shitty teams actually helps us quite a bit
February 8th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^
I think if we win 5 of the last 8 (5-3) and big ten tourney win we will be in.
February 8th, 2023 at 3:09 PM ^
They’ll be on the bubble if they win both games this week. To actually make the tournament they probably have to go 6-2 down the stretch
February 8th, 2023 at 5:39 PM ^
Get to18-20 wins and we should be OK. That's a tough ask but Michigan can matchup with anyone in the league. The problem it has is with experienced teams that can shoot. Michigan needs to establish one more double-figure scorer, either Bufkin or Baker or both to go with Jett and Hunter.
February 8th, 2023 at 6:25 PM ^
18-20 is a big range in the scheme of things.
18 wins will not be enough, not with Michigan's schedule and lack of quality non-conf wins.
19 wins will be smack dab on the knife's edge, most likely. At 19 wins, it may matter what other teams do (but the bubble usually is quite constant, for every team that moves off it, there are others that move on it).
20 wins will be enough.
February 8th, 2023 at 9:30 PM ^
Pitt (now 52 on the NET) may do us a solid. They've got a mostly favorable schedule the rest of the way and could turn that into a Q1 win.
February 8th, 2023 at 6:10 PM ^
We're not that far from the bubble. And four out of five would probably put us on the right side of the bubble. And that's not even a crazy ask. Just need to win the three home games and split the two road games.
February 8th, 2023 at 6:11 PM ^
wah wahhh
February 8th, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
Go Blue
February 8th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
Thanks for posting but I'm just going to go ahead assume we need to win every game. At least we are fresh from taking the first half off.
February 8th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
Here are the 16 teams that are currently on a Sweet 16 streak.
Gonzaga, 7 years - 2015..2022
Michigan, 5 years - 2017..2022
Houston, 3 years - 2019..2022
Arkansas, 2 years - 2021..2022
UCLA, 2 years - 2021..2022
Villanova, 2 years - 2021..2022
Arizona, 1 year - 2022
Duke, 1 year - 2022
Iowa State, 1 year - 2022
Kansas, 1 year - 2022
Miami (FL), 1 year - 2022
North Carolina, 1 year - 2022
Providence, 1 year - 2022
Purdue, 1 year - 2022
St. Peter's, 1 year - 2022
Texas Tech, 1 year - 2022
If Michigan makes it six, we can come back to this thread (and other previous threads as well) to remind ourselves that nothing is impossible.
February 8th, 2023 at 3:33 PM ^
Many lemons will have to be consumed.
February 8th, 2023 at 3:58 PM ^
Every time we’re on the bubble, a bunch of posters who don’t actually follow basketball proclaim to the rooftops that we won’t get in. They don’t get that 68 teams get in. It’s not the CFP.
February 8th, 2023 at 5:18 PM ^
Not only that they say well I don't watch us anymore because we're NOT getting in anyways. Whew what a crowd.
GO BLUE
February 8th, 2023 at 6:02 PM ^
There is nobody on the schedule Michigan can't beat or lose. But the point is, this team needs to establish continuity in its game and Hunter needs to be a difference-maker here on out. Clearly, this team is young, not consistent on defense, rebounding or creating easy scoring opportunities in transition.
I think this team plays hard but doesn't understand how to help itself in the game within the game, denying help, overplaying passing lanes or getting to loose balls.
February 8th, 2023 at 5:41 PM ^
Give the CFP about, oh, seven or eight more years, and 68 teams probably will get into it by then.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:00 PM ^
That means that in 10 years, we'll have this post on a Michigan State message board:
------------------------
I know we're 4-7 going into Saturday's home game against Penn State, but we're still on the college football playoff bubble! Obviously, we need to win to get in, but let's also root for these things:
- Purdue to knock off 4-7 Indiana - IU beat us (for the 5th time in 7 years, sigh) last week, so we obviously need them to lose, they can't finish with a similar record and the head-to-head win.
- Central Michigan over 6-5 Eastern Michigan. Any above .500 MAC teams are a threat to our playoff bid, so go Chippewas!
- Hawaii over Sam Houston State in the late night kick on the islands - that's a very important game over in the "Big C-USA American Mountain Belt" mega-conference.
February 8th, 2023 at 3:35 PM ^
Win the Game.
February 8th, 2023 at 5:02 PM ^
Michigan just needs to win and not lose the games they have lost prior. Start by beating Nebraska. The rest is nothing unless the Michigan squad wins.
February 8th, 2023 at 5:56 PM ^
Agreed - Michigan isn't at the point yet where other teams losses are going to get them to the other side of a bubble it's not even clear that they are on/near yet. And they won't be until they win a few more.
Michigan's regular season right now fits nicely into two 4 game stretches:
- Nebraska, Indiana, @Wisconsin, MSU
- need to win at least 3 of these I think -- possible, but not easy
- @Rutgers, Wisconsin, @Illinois, @Indiana
- need to win at least 2 of these -- a very tall order for the team I've seen all year
And even if they can accomplish both of these, 5 wins may not be enough.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:54 PM ^
With at least a Big Ten Tourney win they should be.
February 8th, 2023 at 5:51 PM ^
Gotta root against Crappenhoft and Gard - don't care about the others.
February 8th, 2023 at 6:49 PM ^
We are 7 wins from the bubble. I aint got the heart for a rooting guide just yet. Nebraska and Indiana have to be wins for the door to open then im on board.
Ill tell you what that graphic of 10 new players on our roster was a real eye opener. No back up that has ever played point guard, NOT ONE, on the roster. Hell man if Juwan makes it to the tourney it will be the miracle of all miracles. A 5'9" starting freshman point guard with no back up?? Wow. Unheard of.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:54 PM ^
Our tournament begins now. Win and advance.
February 8th, 2023 at 9:12 PM ^
Really nice start to the evening for Michigan! We beat Nebraska and the first two bubble games go our way. Both Seton Hall and Virginia Tech go down at home. In particular that loss for VT is tough because they’ve now been swept by BC and were 13 point favorites tonight.
One other thought, I appreciate that some may not think we’re on the bubble yet or maybe don’t care about a bubble watch or rooting guide. I can appreciate that. With that said, it’s pretty clear from the title what this post is about.
Save yourself some energy and just skip these posts until you’re ready to talk about it.