Minority POV: anyone tiny bit concerned OSU lost?
So I switched off the OSU game when Samuel put them up 19-7, convinced the game was over at that point, started watching a movie, then promptly fell asleep. Woke up to the shockng news of the PSU win. Now, while I'm always happy for a MSU/OSU loss, in this instance I admit to a little concern/disappointment, for two feelingsball, (not rational reasons I admit) reasons:
1- An undefeated matchup of both us and OSU for the game would be a giant national story, with huge buildup and insane hype. Now, if things stay the same and we're unbeaten and they have one loss that's still a really big game, but a tiny bit less
2- Isn't a one loss OSU team that has already been upset actually a more dangerous team to play at home in the Game than an undefeated OSU team?
I can see the responses to this view already, and they are all legit, no argument. Am I alone in this?
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:41 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:11 AM ^
I turned it off to watch a different game at that point. After my wife went to bed, I went into the family room. Something told me I should turn it on again. Glad I did.
Years ago I was watching MSU vs ND. MSU was up big. I fell asleep. I woke up later to find out ND won. Two days later, we had "The Rant".
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:53 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:09 AM ^
I'd feel sorry any team that has to play OSU next week.
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:21 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:42 AM ^
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October 23rd, 2016 at 12:09 PM ^
Buildup for The Game may be diluted, but the chances OSU gets into to the CFP after Michigan beats them in Columbus is severely reduced.
And that is worth something.
October 23rd, 2016 at 4:21 PM ^
Michigan could have joined the short list of schools that have beaten OSU twice in one season.
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:42 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:56 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 11:23 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:44 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:52 AM ^
That's an excellent point and one I hadnt thought of until you said it. Lots of post-game chatter on twitter from the Michigan players about the game next week but let's see what happens. By all rights we should absolutely throttle them - we're pissed off and good - they just have the "we can still salvage our season by beating sCUM" card to play. This SHOULD be a bloodbath.
But will it be? We're on the road for our first difficult game away from AA and how will the players respond? If we win easily I will feel a LOT better about the OSU game and our ability to handle very hostile crowds. But if we struggle and win a close game my concern over the game in Columbus (and even Iowa for that matter) will escalate sharply.
Don't forget that back in the 70's & 80's Bo had a couple of fantastic teams have their undefeated seasons derailed by tough losses on the road (Purdue 1976, Iowa 1985) so it's happened before. Hell, it happened once to Harbaugh himself.
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:19 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:31 AM ^
It probably won't be 50-50. The Great Spartan Selloff really only got going a couple weeks ago. I could see us being around 30% of the crowd, which is still a really big number for a visiting.
OTOH, by the time OSU visits (Nov. 19) their fans may outnumber MSU fans.
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:54 AM ^
Kind of nitpicky here, but that 1985 Iowa team was really good, much better than MSU is this year.
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^
Wasn't that a #1 vs. #2 matchup?
October 23rd, 2016 at 4:13 PM ^
Yes.
Like the Sugar Bowl 2 years before it, we hold their star player completely out of the end zone (Bo Jackson for Auburn, Chuck Long for Iowa) and yet we still lose on field goals.
Two of the most frustrating losses in my Michigan lifetime.
I swear, had Bo Schembechler been willling to throw the ball on 3rd and short no more than a half a dozen key times in his career, he would have had multiple National Championships.
October 23rd, 2016 at 11:55 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 12:26 PM ^
The pain still lingers for those of us of a certain age - part of the pain is how confident we always were we were gonna win those Games, those Bowls... confidence of victory DEFINITELY increases the hurt of loss.
THAT'S why those of us who remember dwell, my friend..........
October 23rd, 2016 at 12:29 PM ^
The Butterfly Effect!
I'm surprised no one has brought up how Basil "the Bulger Slayer" ruled over the Byzantine Empire from AD 976-1025 and how that will affect this game.
Could not be more related in my mind.
October 23rd, 2016 at 12:38 PM ^
True. Basil had a pretty killer ground game.
October 23rd, 2016 at 1:49 PM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 2:03 PM ^
I'm pretty sure MSU isn't ranked in the top 2 nationally this year.
I think you're looking for the 16-0 loss to Minnesota in 1977.
Harbaugh did lose 20-17 to Rickie Foggie at home in 1986 on a 3rd down Foggie scramble that put Minny in range to kick the game winning FG.
October 23rd, 2016 at 4:15 PM ^
Very cold windy day in 1986. Lots of turnovers. The ball was bouncing through the air so much it looked like a volleyball game.
October 23rd, 2016 at 3:47 PM ^
...and Rutgers wasn't?
I was going to look at comparative scores but, bizarrely since they're in the same half-conference, they still don't have any common opponents. But Rutgers is 2-6 against the #34 schedule in the country (Massey) and MSU is 2-5 against the #27 schedule in the country. Each is 0-5 in the conference; Rutgers has had two close games in the conference (#35 Iowa, #40 Minnesota) and MSU has just the one vs. # 65 Indiana.
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:43 AM ^
next week, I'd be more worried...that's Northwestern's problem now...
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:47 AM ^
combining how OSU has looked in the last 2 weeks, with how Northwestern has looked the past 2 weeks.
There is now more than a 0% chance that OSU could lose again.
Doubtful of course, but more likely than it was a few days ago.
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:43 AM ^
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October 23rd, 2016 at 9:46 AM ^
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October 23rd, 2016 at 1:14 PM ^
The thing nobody is thinking about: It's possible, albeit unlikely, Ohio State loses again BEFORE The Game. This would mean that even if Michigan lost to OSU, we could still win the Big Ten.
I think a 12-1 Michigan team that loses a close game in Columbus and bounces back against a top ten Wisconsin (or maybe Nebraska) is still in 9 times out of 10.
But yesterday elminated the chance of a non Big Ten winning team making the playoff, whether it's Michigan or Ohio State.
October 23rd, 2016 at 2:11 PM ^
The only way a non-conference champion is getting in is if upset(s) occur in conference championship games and it's indisputable that the resulting "champions" do not belong in the CFP. (E.g., if USC or Florida had won their conference championship games after entering it from a weak division.)
This year, even without a CCG, the Big 12 "champ" might be indisputably unqualified to participate in Larry Culpepper's tournament.
October 23rd, 2016 at 4:18 PM ^
A one-loss Big Ten champ is in unless all four of the reamining P5 champs are undefeated. It could happen, but it's not likely.
October 23rd, 2016 at 11:17 AM ^
A close loss at OSU is still nearly the same thing if OSU has one loss. I think the only way we were getting in with that loss was if we had some impressive wins. We needed Colorado and Wisconsin to finish strong. Now we could throw PSU into that mix.
Another wildcard is the CCG. What happens if a 3 loss team from the West beats OSU? We'd be the only Big Ten team with a chance.
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:43 AM ^
This year they just don't have it (which by Urban Meyer standards means 11-2 or 10-3). They're a young team with weaknesses. His system and sheer talent will still get them to double digit wins, and The Game will be a battle. However, we are the better team than they are this year.
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October 23rd, 2016 at 10:17 AM ^
Shocked is more like it. OSU is a better team than how they appeared last night; but not as good as last year.
What matters is we are now competitive with the best teams in the country.
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:45 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:44 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:06 AM ^
I'm with you. My head wanted a battle of undefeateds. My heart rejoices in OSU going down.
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:45 AM ^
Both MSU and OSU will be up and ready for games when we play regardless of schedules or locations. With a young OSU team, not sure this will have the same effect losing to MSU had last year for OSU....ala waking them up and getting them focused.
With Meyer they are going to fix issues I would assume, but it might create some tension in a young team, where I think last years team just assumed they would be able to walk to the NC and be able to turn it on anytime they wanted too.
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:45 AM ^
yes. College football teams generally seem to play better when there is less pressure on them.
Last year in particular, many of us thought OSU losing to MSU contributed to them playing their best game of the year against Michigan. Different year though, and OSU will still have plenty of pressure and expectations on them when they play Michigan at home, as well as a lot of physical pressure from Michigan's outstanding defense.
October 23rd, 2016 at 9:48 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:00 AM ^
October 23rd, 2016 at 10:12 AM ^
is the least impressive undefeated team in the nation so far. They have had difficulty putting away sub-.500 teams.
Still, as was saw last night, anything can happen.
October 23rd, 2016 at 11:17 AM ^
I agree, except I'm not sure Baylor is all that far behind in terms of unimpressive undefeated teams.
October 23rd, 2016 at 12:14 PM ^
Baylor-Nebraska should be a bowl game this year.
October 23rd, 2016 at 11:48 AM ^
But on a neutral field in the BT championship, I'd like us by 2-3 touchdowns, and I wouldn't bet against more. Wisconsin would be a much tougher matchup-not a team I would relish playing again.
October 23rd, 2016 at 12:16 PM ^
When I said 'anything can happen' I meant that Nebraska could beat OSU in Columbus. Not likley. But anything can happen.
October 23rd, 2016 at 4:20 PM ^
Nebraska is going to lose by double digits to Wisconsin this week.
They are not beating OSU in Columbus.